From Christ Church to Christchurch: student singers return from New Zealand
After a near decade-long hiatus, an exchange programme taking undergraduate members of Christ Church Cathedral Choir to New Zealand’s Christchurch Cathedral has been re-established. The lucky student singers this year were bass Choral Scholars (or ‘Academical Clerks’) James (Jim) Parmeter, who now enters his third year studying Theology and Religion, and George Blundell, who begins his second year studying German and Italian. We caught up with Jim and George to learn about their Antipodean adventure.
In 1997 the OXFORDS Project was established with the aim of sending Choral Scholars in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford to New Zealand’s Christchurch Cathedral annually for a funded choral exchange. The programme was the brainchild of Haydn Rawstron, one-time Organ Scholar at Christ Church, Oxford and a Christchurch, New Zealand native, who forged the link between the two cathedrals. After plans to revive the scheme in recent years were derailed by the COVID pandemic it was a delight finally to have it back up and running.
Jim and George spent three weeks in Christchurch, singing with their Cathedral Choir under the direction of Dr John Linker, as well as working with the Chapel Choir of Christ’s College, Canterbury under the direction of Robert Aburn. They also sang two concerts as part of a quartet, performing alongside Dr Adrian Lowe – former lay clerk of Christ Church, Oxford and now a lay clerk of Christchurch Cathedral – and Kimberley Wood, Director of the girl choristers at Christchurch Cathedral. As Jim recounts, ‘The first of these concerts took place at the Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, and the second was at the Rapaki Marae just outside of Christchurch – this was a real highlight, involving a traditional Māori pōwhiri (welcome ceremony) at their wharenui (ancestral meeting house).
‘The welcomes we received everywhere we went were truly incredible.’
George also commented on the hospitality he and Jim received: ‘We were given such a warm welcome by everyone at Christchurch Transitional Cathedral and at Christ's College, and we also had the opportunity to look around the University of Canterbury and furthermore to connect with Connor Redmille, the recipient of the Wakefield Master's Scholarship, who will begin his M.Sc. in Water Science, Policy and Management this coming academic year at Christ Church.’
‘Amidst his busy schedule working in water management for the Ngāi Tahu, Connor found the time to take us to Hanmer Springs for a day and to show us some of the sights around Christchurch.’
We are incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to take part in such an enjoyable and culturally rich trip.
We are incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to take part in such an enjoyable and culturally rich trip.
Jim and George expressed their sincere thanks to all of those who made the trip possible, and particularly to Cameron and Victoria Pickering who kindly accommodated them throughout the three weeks. As George commented, ‘Cameron even found the time to take us on a few days' trip to the Southern Alps, where we were able to take in stunning views of Lake Takapō, Lake Pukaki and Aoraki (Mount Cook).’
The two Christ Church singers expressed their hopes that the exchange programme will continue for many years to come. Jim said, ‘We are incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to take part in such an enjoyable and culturally rich trip, and hope that future choral scholars at Christ Church will also be able to avail themselves of this wonderful opportunity.’
George added, ‘It was such a privilege to see not only the amazing music-making going on at the Transitional Cathedral and Christ's College, but also the general enthusiasm over there for getting this project going again – a project, headed by Haydn Rawstron, which is so important for maintaining the historical connection between Christchurch, New Zealand and Christ Church, Oxford, after which the city on the other side of the world was named.’
The Cathedral Choir has been a central part of Christ Church since its foundation in the 16th century. It comprises a treble line of boy choristers, an ATB line of men and women (lay clerks and undergraduate academical clerks), a Sub-Organist and organ scholars, under the direction of the Organist (the Christ Church title for the Director of Music). Click here to learn about joining the Cathedral Choir.
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