Christchurch Cathedral Choristers Sydney and Japan Tour 2018

Mission Statement:

To provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for the Christchurch Cathedral choristers’ to showcase their choral music and share the Anglican message in a variety of international venues.

Who We Are:

• The Christchurch Cathedral Choir has sung Evensong regularly since the original Cathedral opened in 1881. The Cathedral Grammar School was established some months before the Cathedral was opened, to train choristers to sing at Cathedral services. This choral tradition has continued through the subsequent 130 years maintaining this unique English choral tradition in the Southern Hemisphere and the only one in New Zealand.

• The full choir consists of 20 primary school boys (Year 4 - 8) and 12 men. The boys audition and serve a probationary period before becoming full choristers. Each chorister spends 16 hours every week training and singing, on top of their educational, sporting and other musical commitments.

Outline of the Tour

• Tuesday 25 September – Monday 1 October: Sydney

Included within this week the choristers will visit St Andrews Cathedral Choir School, St Andrews Cathedral (including participating in the Sunday 10am Service), St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church and Christ Church St. Lawrence Church. Choristers will be given the opportunity to visit the Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo and a variety of other iconic venues within Sydney and its environs.

• Monday 1 October – Wednesday 10 October: Japan

During the 10 days in Japan choristers aim to sing in the Tokyo Anglican Diocese Church and preparations are underway to sing with the Tokyo FM Boys Choir. They will travel to Kyoto and hopefully sing with in the St Agnes Church. We have been invited to participate in various celebrations, including a formal dinner of the 45 Year Anniversary of the sister city relationship between Christchurch New Zealand and Kurashiki in Japan. Choristers will also get to visit Hiroshima and learn of its importance in our history.