New Zealander Earns a Place with World Renowned Tabernacle Choir 

“The question was straight forward. Did I think I could sing with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square?” said Aaron Wi Repa, of Hamiton.  “I had never really considered that a realistic possibility.”

But an Auckland leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand was persistent.

“She felt I sang well enough to be considered to perform with the Choir in General Conference, and suggested to others, who then reached out to me, that I should put in an application,” he said. “So that’s what I did.”

And to his great delight, Wi Repa was asked to sing in the world-famous choir during The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ semi-annual general conference meetings in October.

Typically, singers who want to try out for the Choir go through a four-step process. 

First, like Wi Repa did, they submit an online application and voice recording. Then they take a musical skills assessment and participate in an interview with Choir president, Michael Leavitt. Finally, they do an in-person audition with the Choir’s Music Director, Mack Wilburg, and Associate Music Director, Ryan Murphy.

If they successfully pass through those three phases, they move on to the fourth and final part of the application process: Choir School and Chorale at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah USA.

However, in Wi Repa's case, who lives in Hamilton, New Zealand, he was applying to join the Choir for a different reason—as part of a pilot program for qualified members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to sing with the Choir as global participants during the Church’s general conference in April and October of each year.

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When this program was announced in March 2023, President Leavitt said he was unsure how it would develop, but he was looking forward to seeing the results.

“The Choir has recently broadened its mission to reach a global audience,” he said, describing the program as a natural progression in the Church’s growth throughout the world.

“The entire Church celebrates Christ. We not only speak His words, but we sing His praises,” said President Leavitt. “Our goal now is to reach throughout the world to bring peace and healing. More than half the membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lives outside the United States.”

“This is a means by which we not only reflect that membership, but it’s also a way in which we can bring a sense of belonging to people who live all over the world.”

Enter Aaron Wi Repa.

There has been a whirlwind of activity since he submitted his application in mid-April.  The normal four step process to sing with the Choir was augmented to meet the needs of those living outside the US.  In his case, Wi Repa took part in a zoom call with Tabernacle Choir School Director, Cheryl Worthen, and Associate Choir Director Ryan Murphy. 

During this call, he performed some music he had selected, then sang a piece that they asked him to sing and did some basic sight reading.

“That was the scary part,” Wi Repa said, referring to the challenge all musicians face when they sing a piece of music for the first time. “But I had faith and did it, and it seemed to be acceptable to them.”

A short time later, while listening to his voice messages, he had one from Choir President Leavitt, extending him a calling to serve as a member of the Choir for a period of from three to five years.

“As I listened to that message, I just happened to be listening to a recording of Andrea Bocelli singing The Lord’s Prayer with the Choir,” Wi Repa said. “For some reason I had been very connected to that song throughout that day.”

“So, when I heard the message asking me to sing with the Tabernacle Choir, it was a very emotional moment for me,” he continued.  “It had the same effect on me as when I received my full-time mission call years ago.”

Wi Repa hasn’t got much time to think about it, since he leaves for this experience in the US on 15 September.  His wife, Adele, who happens to be a vocal coach and choir director herself, has been working hard to help him learn the music he will sing with the choir while in the US.

“That will be an intense two weeks, that’s for sure,” Wi Repa says. “I arrive on a Friday, and on Sunday I will go right into singing with the Choir in their world-wide Music & The Spoken Word broadcast.”

There will be many choir practices between the time he arrives in Salt Lake City until the Church’s General Conference begins, which will be held Saturday, 30 September, and Sunday 1 October. Wi Repa will sing in the Saturday morning session, and again during the weekly Music & the Spoken Word broadcast and both sessions of  conference on Sunday. 

All sessions of conference will be broadcast world-wide via satellite and internet transmission. All sessions can be viewed in New Zealand via Kordia TV Channel 200 during the weekend of 7-8 October, and on Prime TV on Sunday 8 October.

“People ask me all the time if I’m the first Māori, or New Zealander to sing with the Choir,” Wi Repa said. “I’ve been told that Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Dame Malvina Major sang with the Choir several times as guest performers in the past.”

“Also, native New Zealanders Jeannie Watkins and Margie Ahmu Puriri moved to the US and joined the Choir while living in Utah,” he continued.

“But as far as I know, I am the first New Zealander to be called directly from this country to serve as a member of the Tabernacle Choir, and that is very humbling when you think about it,” he said.

In addition to their vocal participation, each member of the Choir is called to be an ambassador for The Church of Jesus Christ, to share their goodwill and faith through music.

“I’m happy I get to serve as a missionary again, this time through music,” Wi Repa said.  “It’s very humbling when I consider all of the people that I have heard sing and have looked up to through the years.”

“Now I’m joining them. I can hardly believe it.”