Story: Choral music and choirs

Friendly Road choristers

The combined children's choirs of the Fellowship of the Friendly Road are shown in the Auckland Town Hall during a holiday choral festival. These choirs were established and conducted by broadcaster Thomas Garland ('Uncle Tom') in the 1930s, mainly to sing for the services of his non-denominational radio church, presided over by Methodist missioner Colin Scrimgeour ('Uncle Scrim'). They continued to perform regularly to packed audiences until the 1960s.

Listen to 'Sing as we go' performed by a child soloist and the choir.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: Eph-A-MUSIC-1946-01-03

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Sound file from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives Nga Taonga Korero. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright. To request a copy of the recording, contact Sound Archives Nga Taonga Korero (Uncle Tom's Community Singing Lullaby Session/Reference number 37741)

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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, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/music/42226/friendly-road-choristers (accessed 7 May 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 22 Oct 2014