Our Story: What's in a Name?
A parlour has an old-world quality. It brings to mind parlour songs and parlour games, people gathering in a comfortable room to sing, play, talk and discover something together.
There might be shelves, intriguing objects, books, images and a little mystery. You cannot know exactly what is inside until you look through the window or step through the door.
The Voice Parlour isn't so much a fixed location as an approach to gathering and learning. It might take shape in a teaching studio, a rehearsal room, a workshop, through writing or in a conversation between colleagues. Wherever it happens, there is room for curiosity, unexpected discoveries and the people who bring them.
The Voice Behind the Parlour
Rachel Alexander Sutherland
Rachel Alexander Sutherland is a soprano, voice specialist, choral director and teacher with more than two decades of experience in singing and music education. Her work includes individual voice teaching, curriculum music, choral direction, workshops, outreach, mentoring and performance.
Rachel holds a Master of Music in Classical Performance Voice from the University of Auckland. She has performed with Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, the New Zealand Youth Choir and the New Zealand Opera Chorus, and has directed school choirs recognised at both the NZCF Big Sing and Kids Sing festivals.
From 2011 to 2021, she was Assistant Director and Principal Vocal Consultant of the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir. She continues to work actively with school choirs and music programmes across New Zealand, supporting singers and directors through teaching, workshops, mentoring and choral development.
Her outreach and mentoring work also includes engagements with the New Zealand Choral Federation and Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand, sharing her experience and supporting musical development beyond her own ensembles.
Rachel has been Music Director of Waitākere Voices since 2024 and will take up the Music Directorship of Harbour Voices in 2027. In 2026, she was elected to the Governance Board of the New Zealand Choral Federation.
Her teaching and leadership are grounded in curiosity, technical understanding and a commitment to creating collaborative, welcoming and inclusive spaces for singers. She values the relationship between musical development and the individual experiences of the people making the music.
The Art of Paying Attention
Paying attention is not just about asking the right questions. It's about really listening to the answers — to what someone says, and what they don't say. It's about noticing when you need to ask a different question, rather than just another question. And it's knowing when to stop asking questions and start making sound.
It's about getting to know not only the person in front of you (and their voice), but where they've come from and why they've come to the Parlour.
Every person has a different story and a different journey. We need to pay attention to the spoken and unspoken information they give us, to truly value them and to work with them effectively, responsively and responsibly — with empathy, kindness and curiosity.