The Spooky Men's Chorale

"It takes a rare skill to be very silly, thoughtful, and sing in perfect harmony, but the Spooky Men’s Chorale manage to achieve just that." - Robin Denselow, The Guardian (2015)​

Artistic Director Stephen Taberner plus 11-13 singers

The Spooky Men’s Chorale is a vast, rumbling, steam-powered and black-clad behemoth, capable of rendering audiences moist eyed with mute appreciation or haplessly gurgling with merriment. Based on the twin pillars of grand foolishness and the quest for the perfect boofchord, the Spooky Men seek to commentate on the absurdity and grandeur of the modern male armed only with their voices, a sly collection of hats, and a twinkle in the eye. 

Formed in the Blue Mountains of NSW in 2001 by Christchurch-born Spookmeister Stephen Taberner, the Spooky Men have since performed over 750 gigs in diverse festivals and venues across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and in Germany and Denmark, including Woodford, WOMAD (Adelaide and NZ), Edinburgh Fringe, and Tonder (Denmark). 

Through an evening of drop deadpan beautiful mansinging, the Spooky Men’s Chorale ponder the conundrums of modern life and manhood, invite the audience to joyously experience a wall of mansound, laugh stupidly, and venture into areas of great tenderness. It is not so much comedic as hilarious, not so much shimmeringly perfect as pleasingly and deeply human.

Program

The Spooky Men’s Chorale sing a judicious combination of Georgian table songs, pindrop beautiful ballads, highly inappropriate covers, and immaculate man anthems like “Don’t stand between a man and his tool.” 

The program typically includes a selection of original works and arrangements by Stephen Taberner, Georgian and other folk songs, and covers of well known and less well known pop songs.

Format: 120 minutes including 25 minute interval