Wairarapa Singers music director Angela Cook, and singer Steve Lee. PHOTO/EMILY NORMAN
EMILY NORMAN
Steve Lee loves to sing.
And thanks to the support from his choir family, the Wairarapa Singers, he has gone on to be selected as a member of the New Zealand Male Choir.
Mr Lee has lived in Wairarapa for 21 years, and over that time has been involved with the Carterton choir and the Martinborough choir as well.
But his singing journey was upped upon joining the Wairarapa Singers, a choir which he said pushed him to his highest standard.
“I joined Wairarapa singers to become a better singer. I would not have contemplated even thinking about joining the national choir without the support of the choir and Angela (choir director).”
Mr Lee set out on his New Zealand Male Choir audition a few weeks ago; it was up in Cambridge and was the day after he had a significant choir rehearsal at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington.
“That was on the Friday night and I had to be up at Cambridge the very next morning.
“I got two-and-a-half hours sleep that night, but I made it up to Cambridge and I got through that audition.”
The New Zealand Male Choir tours internationally as well as throughout New Zealand.
“We have a tour to Australia next year, and they have been to England, Europe, last year they were in Canada.
“It’s a pretty big deal – the weight of it is starting to hit me.”
Mr Lee is in his third year with Wairarapa Singers and said it was “fair to say that our choir is the envy of many around the country”.
“We can attract 400 people for one concert.
“There are choirs in bigger centres who are lucky to get 100 people. So we’ve got a really good following.”
Wairarapa Singers choir director Angela Cook said she was proud of Mr Lee’s achievement in being selected for the national choir.
