Let’s Get Singing! Barbershop Harmony, Hamilton Style

Forty-plus women. Zero instruments. Monday-night rehearsals that leave them feeling over the moon. Meet the Hamilton chorus that can turn anywhere into a concert.

The Waikato Rivertones chorus is a women’s choir from Hamilton that formed 30 years ago. There are currently more than 40 members, and not one instrument in sight. All it takes is four people singing four different harmonies and you’ve got a whole band.

According to member and team coordinator Mary Cave-Palmer, that makes them “portable” so they can start a concert anywhere.

Bus stop? Sure. Airport? They will do it.

“You can turn up to a rehearsal and you’ll be welcomed.”

Mary Cave-Palmer

^{Mary Cave-Palmer, member and team coordinator of the Waikato Rivertones, pictured during a choir rehearsal in Hamilton. Photo by: Christina Bianchi.}

The choir is part of a huge international group called SingUnited International, with choruses here in New Zealand, Australia, Japan,  Europe, and across the United States so members can connect all over the world. “You can turn up to a rehearsal and you’ll be welcomed,” Mary said when talking about the other choruses around the world.

Rehearsals go for at least three hours every Monday, starting with a warm-up to shake off the day. On top of the singing, there are costumes, which can change from song to song, with plenty of colour and creativity expected in rehearsals and on the stage. “Every time I leave rehearsal, I feel elated,” says Mary

The talented singers come from all different backgrounds. Members include doctors, nurses, teachers, mums and retirees, and range in age from as young as 16 to well into their 70s. Everyone wants to learn even the experts, and no one is afraid to cheer each other on. “We are singers who want to learn how to get better [at singing] and how to get better at giving a performance,”

“Every time I leave rehearsal, I feel elated.”

Mary Cave-Palmer

 Even competitions feel different. The Rivertones compete in contests and as much as it is about winning, it’s also about lifting everyone up. If another team does well, they will cheer. If another team doesn’t do so well, they will cheer anyway.

The chorus has represented New Zealand in international competitions on numerous occasions. Most recently, in Kentucky, USA in October 2023.

After winning  the Sweet Adelines New Zealand Competition in 2025, big adventures lie ahead for the Rivertones. Hamilton is hosting the 2027 National Competition and Convention, and the Rivertones will be right in the middle of the action. Not long after, they’re heading to do some dazzling performances in Australia.

Ask any Rivertone why they keep showing up, and the answer is simple. It’s fun, friendly, and a family.

If that sounds like your kind of group, the chorus would love to hear from you. And if you can’t make it to a rehearsal or audition, they would be happy to come and sing for you instead.

Head over to the Waikato Rivertones Chorus website for more, or SingUnited for more information on non-profit a cappella events and groups

Photography credits: Christina Bianchi