Aidan Thomas Phillips joined the Cathedral Choir at 14, and still remembers the joy of singing one of his first tenor solos with the choir. He is now based in the UK, rehearsing for four productions with a fifth on the way.
For a young singer already on his way, the Cathedral Choir was a place that supported and encouraged him. In his own words, it remains "a place that will always be near and dear to my heart as a spiritual home."
Aidan reflects on his time in the choir and the musical journey that followed.
Aidan recalls first joining the Cathedral Choir.
“I was 14, having just moved with my family over from the UK, where I’d already been a choral scholar at St. John the Baptist in central Newcastle Upon Tyne.”
Music was already a familiar part of his life, but one early memory at the Cathedral stood out: “We did “The Heavens are telling the glory of God” from Haydn’s Creation as an Anthem, and it was one of the first tenor solos I sang with the choir.”
“I just remember getting so caught up in how joyful it was,” he says.
Key influences: teachers, peers, and mentors
Aidan’s development was shaped by several key mentors and musicians.
He highlights Rachael Griffiths-Hughes, Director of Music at the Cathedral, as a central influence in his early musical formation and choir experience.
Alongside the Cathedral, he credits Ian Campbell as a major influence, as well as early solo opportunities with Hamilton Civic Choir, under Timothy Carpenter and Francis Cowan, who introduced him to wider repertoire and ensemble work.
He also recalls inspiration from Jonathan Eyres, who was emerging as a standout artist at the time.
A particularly formative influence came through the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir, where he was guided by the late Dr. Andrew Withington. “I was really guided by him during my time in NZSSC,” he says. “I was heartbroken when I heard of his passing.”
“And then of course I was massively influenced and guided by Dame Malvina Major.”
“She gave me repertoire advice, support, kindness… I’ve always admired her career and her philanthropy. I think almost every classical singer in the Waikato has felt her support or influence in some way.”
A career taking shape
There was no single moment when Aidan decided to pursue music professionally, but rather a culmination.
“I knew that if I worked really hard on my music through school, I could get into the Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship at Waikato,” he explains. “So, I did.”
A little doubt kicked in during undergraduate study, but his confidence returned, particularly when he was accepted into the New Zealand Opera School.
A major turning point came with performing in the chorus of Verdi’s Requiem with New Zealand Opera in 2022 at Auckland Town Hall.
“It was incredible,” he says. “But I tested positive for COVID the next day and couldn’t do the final rehearsals of the Il Trovatore concert that was coming after. Losing my voice like that and not being able to do the other half of the concert broke my heart… it made me realise how much I needed music in my life. How much it hurt when it was taken away.”
Performances that stay with him
Three performances stand out.
Covering baritone solos in Bach Musica’s Duruflé Requiem in Auckland, where he was included in both orchestral and piano rehearsals.
A masterclass in Scotland with Wagnerian soprano Linda Esther Gray.
“She said I was the ‘perfect Siegmund’ and believed my voice was ‘world class’,” he recalls.
And a fundraising recital for the Tauranga Opera Forum, supporting the next generation of New Zealand singers.
Life now
There is no typical week.
Work now spans digital marketing for clients, rehearsals across multiple cities, and travel between Scotland and England, alongside multiple overlapping productions.
“I’m actively in rehearsals for four projects with a fifth I’m preparing before September,” he says. “Anything else at this point has to be either with a score in hand or something I already know.”
The next five years are focused on making a professional solo debut in the UK or Europe, developing into lyrical-dramatic repertoire such as Fidelio, Tosca, Lohengrin, and Carmen. “And to become a Dad!”
What home means now
Despite an international career, connections remain strong.
“Well, I’m still in the Cathedral Choir group chat, and my mum still sings in the Alto section. I still get the newsletter.”
But “home” has become layered and shifting: Scotland, Northumberland, performance spaces, and life with his wife Emma.
“My wife Emma feels like home because wherever she is, my immediate family base is. Home is wherever she is,” he says simply. “The home that we’ve built together just outside of Glasgow is home because it’s quiet, curated, stocked with our creature comforts. And as the late Queen Elizabeth II would have said, ‘It’s our little piece of England.’”
But Waikato Cathedral remains central.
“The Cathedral in Hamilton is still one of the cosiest spaces, simple and deeply spiritual, and the Waikato Diocese is led with such incredible mana, and Kotahitanga—that of course it’s a place that will always be near and dear to my heart as a spiritual home.”
Stories like Aidan's are a reminder of what the Cathedral Choir means to so many. If you would like to help ensure it continues, learn more about the Saving Waikato Cathedral appeal.
The Cathedral has received a formal notice of earthquake strengthening. The first stage of the project, a dedicated Music Centre, will provide seismic strengthening to the Nave while creating a home for music at the heart of the Cathedral, ensuring singers, musicians, and choirs can continue to call this place home for generations to come.