A Kiwi in The King’s Singers, and an auspicious Adelaide debut

The King’s Singers have been enjoying the world’s best coffee, a spot of sun and the sounds of local choirs on our Australian tour.

As I write this, sitting on a plane from Adelaide to Melbourne, I can recall the last time I was in this part of the world. I left New Zealand on a beautiful winter’s afternoon in June 2010 and I can vividly picture flying over the Southern Alps with the sun setting on the white peaks. I remember thinking how much I was going to miss New Zealand, but that I’d be back one day… Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine it’d be so soon, on tour with The King’s Singers!

We left England a week ago and after a few quasi-chilled-out days in Sydney with time to shake off the jet lag and enjoy the restaurants on Darling Harbour, we had a busy day of media appointments with local and national radio stations and newspapers.

As the only member of the group who has been to Australia before, I’ve enjoyed reacquainting myself with the city – Circular Quay with its fantastic Eastbank restaurant is always a good place to go. The others have been jogging around Darling Harbour and along to the Opera House, exploring Bondi Beach, cafés and eateries… And basking in the non-snowy weather! We also had the pleasure of hearing the local choirs of St James King Street and St Mary’s Cathedral in a masterclass.

After our miniature Sydney stopover, it was off to Adelaide to prepare for my debut concert as first baritone with the group. Our two concerts in the Adelaide Festival Centre were with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ollivier-Philippe Cunéo. The program – a mix of a cappella, orchestral and combined numbers – included folksongs, jazz standards and contemporary works. Fauré’s Pavane and Walton’s Coronation March were highlights, and we finished with encores of Let it Be and former King’s Singer Bob Chilcott’s arrangement of Greensleeves.

Both concerts were nearly sold out and the audience was so enthusiastic! It’s easy to forget that, were it not for the warm reception that The King’s Singers received some 40 years ago in Australasia, the group may not be around today. It was on that very first tour that the original sextet decided to forego their other jobs and career prospects in England and sing together full-time. I’m certainly pleased they did!

So, next stop Melbourne (my favourite Australian city) for another masterclass, a Valentine’s Day concert with a distinctly amorous flavour, and a different program the following day on February 15. We then return to Sydney before rounding off the Australian part of this tour in Brisbane on the 19th. Stay tuned for more about our choral adventures Down Under.

The world’s best coffee awaits us when we touch down… And hopefully some more warm weather!