Gisborne Singers
Mixed voice choir (VIC)
The Gisborne Singers is a small, non-auditioned, not-for-profit community choir based in the Macedon Ranges. Bringing together people who share a love of exceptional choral music, the ensemble is dedicated to creating meaningful musical experiences for audiences.
The choir traces its origins to 1980, when The Gisborne Madrigal Group gave its first performance at the launch of Gisborne’s Music ’81 campaign, a State government initiative supporting community-based music. Known for their warm community spirit and commitment to excellence, the Gisborne Singers perform a wide range of repertoire – from contemporary works and cabaret pieces to major classical choral compositions. They have built a proud tradition of presenting high-quality performances in beautiful regional venues.
From 2010 to 2020, the choir was led by Musical Director Stephen Brockman, under whose guidance they staged major works including Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St Matthew Passion, and the Mozart Requiem. With Brockman, the choir discovered the music of Karl Jenkins, performing The Armed Man with the Ballarat Chorale. This collaboration led to an invitation to present the North American Premiere of Jenkins’ Cantata Memoria at Carnegie Hall in 2017. Members returned in 2019 to perform The Armed Man at the same venue.
With Luke Severn as Artistic Director from 2022 to June 2025, the choir twice collaborated with the Bendigo Symphony Orchestra in the shared venture Symphonia Choralis, performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony “Ode to Joy” and Mahler’s Second Symphony “Resurrection” with world‑class soloists including Liane Keegan, Merlyn Quaife, and Teddy Tahu Rhodes. They also enjoyed presenting a semi-staged version of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. The choir is proud of its ongoing association with soprano Merlyn Quaife, Artistic Patron since 2022.
In late 2025, the Gisborne Singers welcomed Christopher Roache as Musical Director and look forward to their first concert of 2026 in May – a program of English motets spanning Renaissance to modern works.
Image supplied by Gisborne Singers
