Perfect or Absolute Pitch Being able to recognise a pitch without an external reference is called absolute pitch, commonly referred to as perfect pitch. This is a rare trait. Studies show around one in ten thousand people have perfect pitch however many never discover they have it. This video is absolutely fascinating.https://youtu.be/Pkx64H0... read more

It takes a fair bit of engery and time to run any choir...nobody would disagree I hope!   Sometimes it's important to take stock and look at goals for growth and what tasks can be shared with others. For me, with 3 choirs and a more than full time day job I have needed to seriously look at this as time is so precious.   2017 is going ... read more

The Hutt Valley Singers with Musical Director Joanne Roelofs, present their first concert for the year on Sunday, May 1 at Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre in Upper Hutt. New Zealand.   Titled "Gloria", the concert features Vivaldi's Gloria as the main work to be performed. Joining the choir for this work are soloists Janey Mackenzi... read more

The Hutt Valley Singers and The Major Minors Children's Choir have both been nominated as finalists (Arts & Culture) Upper Hutt in the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards.   For me, personally, this is a thrill as I accompany both choirs. The Major Minors Choir won the category last year so to be nominated for a second year is a w... read more

One of the things we find with our choir is  that during the middle or the year (our New Zealand winter) , we're often plagued with choir members getting sick, wintery bitter weather (so nobody wants to leave their warm homes), or members taking trips to the pacific for sun, rest and relaxation. This year we decided to put together a progra... read more

The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace Each year on Anzac Day, New Zealanders (and Australians) mark the anniversary of the Gallipoli landings of 25 April 1915. On that day, thousands of young men, far from their homes, stormed the beaches on the Gallipoli Peninsula in what is now Turkey.     Key dates   25 April 19... read more

  The Hutt Valley Singers have been busily preparing a full and exciting year of singing for 2015, starting off with a performance of Karl Jenkins ‘The Armed Man’ with the Upper Hutt Brass Band and the Wainuiomata Choir. This popular work is being performed on Anzac weekend to remember those who have served our country on the 100t... read more

Music for the Soul   The Hutt Valley Singers have spent winter evenings working on a programme for their next concert coming up on Sunday, 24th August. ‘You Raise Me Up’ is a concert of uplifting songs written by composers  from a number of centuries including the likes of Palestrina, Purcell, and Mendelssohn, through to li... read more

I think I’ve started a new project that is going to keep me learning new musical skills for a long time….. I love working on choral arrangements, however the more I do and the more I think about them, the more I actually learn. I am extremely lucky to have a choir to try these arrangements out on. The Hutt Valley Singers and Musical D... read more

Okay- so I've been a bit slack about blogging lately.  Not that I have been idol- there is so much to blog about but 24 hours in a day a full time job and more music than I can ever learn to play means there  isn't enough time!   In the last month I've been taking rehearsals from the keyboard as our Musical Director for The Major M... read more