It was in 1936 that a band of two dozen selected Wellington singers accepted the invitation of Mr. Stanley Oliver to form a choir for the study of a repertory that should consist largely, though not exclusively, of modern music. Within a few months the Schola Cantorum, as it was named, gave a radio concert under Dr. Malcolm Sargent, who was in New Zealand at the time. The progress made under Mr. Oliver in this short period revealed that he had chosen a team with the will to study and the musicianship to tackle the type of work he had in mind. Parry's ‘Blest Pair of Sirens,’ together with six unaccompanied madrigals, were sung.