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Story: Choral music and choirs

Dunedin Choral Society: 1947

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Dunedin Choral Society: 1947

The Dunedin Choral Society has its origins in a choir that sang for a performance of Handel's Messiah by the Dunedin Philharmonic Society in 1863. The name Dunedin Choral Society was adopted in 1871. In August 1947, when this photograph was taken, the the choir was known as the Schola Cantorum of Dunedin. By then substantial, it sang Mendelssohn's Elijah, with Warwick Braithwaite conducting. At this time the women did not wear a uniform, in contrast with the men, who all wore evening suits for performances.

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Hocken Collections, University of Otago

Reference: S13-587

Permission of the Hocken Collections Uare Taoka o Hakena, University of Otago, must be obtained before any re-use of this image. Further information may be obtained from the Library through its website.

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Choral music and choirs – The first century, 1840s to 1940s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/42221/dunedin-choral-society-1947 (accessed 26 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 26 July 2013.