Different faiths, cultures & languages — one Wellington choir found a common voice

On a cold Wellington evening, people from different corners of the world gathered inside St Peter’s Church on Willis Street — not speaking the same language, sharing the same faith or coming from the same generation, but preparing to do one thing together: sing.

For eight weeks, 32 Wellingtonians came together as part of The Sound of Us, a cross-community choir led by Wellington-based ethnic community charity Ekta New Zealand. They learned songs and discovered what they could create as a group, building a sense of belonging along the way.

The participants came from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and New Zealand, ranging from their late twenties to 90 years old. They included professionals and people who had accessed community support services.

English was not a common language for everyone, but it did not stop them from finding their rhythm.

Photo: Supplied

Once the music began, they had a different way to connect.

With the help of interpreters and each other, the group learned songs, shared laughs, worked through challenges and slowly found a common language in music.

For Ekta’s Manjit Grewal, the project quickly became more than a choir.

“What began as a social cohesion project soon became much more”.

Despite bitter winter weather, heavy rain and even snow flurries, choir members continued to turn up week after week. Attendance remained high, reflecting the friendships, trust and sense of community that had developed within the group.

For some, the experience pushed them well outside their comfort zones.

A number of participants had never performed in public before and arrived at their first rehearsal unsure of what to expect. Eight weeks later, they were stepping confidently onto the stage.

“I think the whole process helped break some of the socio-cultural barriers that normally makes people to hesitant to open up and connect with others from different cultures”, said participant Judah Seomeng.

For Kaushiki Roy, singing with The Sound of Us was an “unforgettable experience”, particularly because of the spirit of manākitanga and whanaungatanga it created.

Photo: Supplied

"I'm a firm believer in the ancient Sanskrit maxim “the world is one family" and this initiative is a glowing example of this. It proved that music has no barriers and love doesn't need a common language because it is the common language”, Roy shared

That idea came to life on August 9, when The Sound of Us performed for the first time in front of nearly 200 people at St Peter’s Church.

The performance celebrated the cultures represented within the choir, with songs in English, Te Reo Māori, Hindi, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew and Setswana.

The audience clapped along, sang with the choir and shared in what became a deeply moving celebration of community.

For Ekta, the project showed that social cohesion is not just an idea. It is something people can experience for themselves.

When people sing together, they listen to each other. They build trust. They celebrate each other.

The success of The Sound of Us has encouraged Ekta to continue the project beyond its debut performance, with hopes of making it a lasting part of Wellington’s cultural life and a model that could be replicated in communities across New Zealand.

Because when people from different walks of life come together and find harmony in their differences, the result is more than just music, it is, The Sound of Us.