In Harmony since 1946
Who We Are
Our name is derived from the district of Sydney where we rehearse, where many of our concerts are held at retirement villages as well as public venues, and a substantial number of our choristers live. Ku-Ring-Gai encompasses what is popularly referred to as Sydney’s upper north shore, though our presence also extends to the Hills District, to Hornsby and even the northern beaches.
The choir was started in 1946 by returned servicemen who had found camaraderie in singing during the war. This makes KMC one of the longest-running choirs in Australia. Our membership totals about 40, divided reasonably well between the four male voice parts. Our demographics cover a substantial number of retirees as well as younger men still pursuing their careers.
Our aim is to constantly improve our performance and the favorable comments that we continue to receive from our audiences lead us to believe that we are again making progress in 2014. Our major strength is our conductor and musical director, Dr Paul Whiting, who has tirelessly pursued excellence during his 20+ years of leading the choir. He is also renowned among our audiences for his witty and informative comments on musical items in our concerts.
Dr Paul Whiting – Music Director
Dr Paul Whiting (MA (Hons); Dip Ed; LMus; ThC; PhD) studied music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the University of Sydney.
He taught English, History and Music at secondary level and lectured in English, Music and Primary Education at Wagga Wagga Teachers’ College, Sydney, Teachers’ College, Sydney CAE and the University of Sydney.
He plays piano and organ, and has conducted the Ku-Ring-Gai Male Choir since 2000.
Dr Whiting was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2016 Australia Day honours list for service to the community though choral music.
Hank Xiang – Accompanist
Hank graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium with a Bachelor of Music (Hons) in 2012 after studying under Dr Paul-Rickard Ford.
He continued his studies at the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory in St Petersburg in the class of Nina Seryogina and Miroslav Kultyshev.
Hank has performed in iconic concert halls across Australia and Europe and has worked as a soloist with several orchestras in St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk.
He was appointed to the role of accompanist for our choir in March 2021.
Our Philosophy
The members of Ku-Ring-Gai Male Choir are brought together with the common desire of making music, coupled with social interaction.
We are a non-audition choir and new members are always welcome; we do not ask that you sing like a professional, and the ability to read music is not required but would be helpful. All that is required is a love of music and the commitment to attend the majority of rehearsals.
