The show has generally followed the same format since the late-1990s, although there have been minor alterations.
Sextet
The Capping Sextet is a male voice ensemble consisting of six members who sing three songs during each half of the show. Early surviving records show a group called 'The Coons' appearing in 1903. Although it is not clear what they sang, the majority of material in the early concerts was topical. In 1905 the group was listed as the ‘Coon Tableau and Cake Walk’ and in 1906 they were called a ‘Character Quartette’. 1910 saw their number increase to a ‘Quintette’ and as early as 1911 the group was becoming famous for their topical songs. These were sometimes as long as 15 verses, with each verse commenting on a different local or campus-based topic. The first time the name ‘Sextette’ was used was in 1912, however the group numbered five from 1913 to 1915. With the outbreak of World War I, Capping Concerts from 1916 to 1918 were suspended. 1919 saw the return of the show and the return of a ‘Quintette’. It is in this year that we have the earliest known member of the group – Amos Robinson McKegg, who was a member from 1919 to 1921. His son Robert was a member from 1956 to 1961.
By the 1920s the responsibility of delivering topical verses during the show was now falling almost exclusively on the Sextet. From 1922 to 1925 the group always had six members, and this then fixed the name Sextet. A student at the university during this period, Arthur Porritt (later Queen's Surgeon and Governor General of New Zealand), recalled that, ‘they were always an excellent turn – topical, amusing, lively and energetic’.
Originally the Sextet appeared in dinner suits and later tailcoats and from the 1930s they sang one half of the show in clown costumes. Due to WWII, Capping Concerts were suspended from 1942 to 1944. Herbert ‘Barney’ G. Feltham was given the responsibility of resurrecting the Sextet in 1945. Among the members at this time was Bryan Drake who would go on to create various roles in world premieres of music by Benjamin Britten.
Keith Monagan, a member from 1948 to 1951, recalled in a letter that ‘To attain membership of the Sextet was the height of ‘having arrived’ at university. It was tremendous fun, very much drunken fun, but we were serious in that we practised a great deal…’ This status was reflected in the group being given the stars’ dressing room at the St James Theatre.
In the 1960s the show was so popular that three long play records of the Sextet and other musical parts of the show were made. With the inclusion of women now standard, a group of women decided it was time for a female Sextet. The ODT commented ‘year by year the male domination of the Capping Concert has been whittled away. This year comes the final blow to the tradition. The most exclusive of institutions, the all-male Varsity Sextet, has been joined by a Sextette. The girls do a good job, but their voices are not strong enough and most of their words are lost'. (ODT 3 May 1966).
The female group did not survive at this time but the involvement of women with the Sextet continued in 1969 when Jane Faulkner became the Sextet pianist. She later went on to become Music Director of the group from 1970–1972.
The Sextet and its equally long running companion Selwyn Ballet lapsed in 1973 as the Capping Committee decided to put on a play. The revue format of the show returned in 1975 and the Sextet and Selwyn Ballet resumed their traditional duties. The man given the job of resurrecting the Sextet was Simon Skinner. He contacted then music student Richard Madden. Richard and his brother Gerald, both from a musical family and members of the St Paul’s Cathedral Choir, brought in friends who also had good musical and choral backgrounds. They were given free licence to do what they wanted with the format, but knew that songs of the topical nature were part of the show’s history. It was at this time that the 4–6-part harmony developed through the arranging skills of Richard Madden and the influence of a visit to Dunedin by the Kings’ Singers in 1972. Thus, audiences began to enjoy the Sextet not only for their wit but also the arrangements that they performed. During the late 1970s, Marama Singers was also a male group run by Dr Patrick Little, and eventually repertoire from the two groups began to merge.
1975 saw the introduction of pierrot make-up. This, along with the clown costumes, immediately identifies the group to the public and continues today.
Since the late 1970s the group has continued to go from strength to strength helped by the creative wit of the members, the famous arrangements done by Prof John Drummond, and lyrics supplied to them from the late Nigel Eastgate. Never a member of the group, Nigel penned the legendary ‘Sideways,’ ‘Tight Mistress’ and ‘Tired of Muldoon’ lyrics as well as dozens of topical songs for more than 40 years for the group.
Keith Stronach, a member in the early 1930s, kept sending lyrics to the group for more than 20 years. Similarly, Bill Hilliker, a member in 1929, 1933 and 1934, maintained a lifelong interest in the Sextet, auditioning members until the early 1960s. Ian C. Robertson sang in the group in the early 1960s but continued to assist them musically until 1969. It is people such as these that, along with the dedicated members that has enabled the Sextet to survive.
Notable former members include Peter Chin, Sir William Southgate, Bryan Drake, Dr John Borrie, Geoffrey de Lautour, Roger Wilson, Piri Sciascia, Richard Madden, Martin Snell, Simon O'Neill, Jonathan Lemalu, Tecwyn Evans, and Robbie Schmidt.
Less well-known members include Mark Wigglesworth, Dominic Edmond, and Jack Fisher.
Recently, some songs have stuck with students at Otago University, becoming known as 'modern classics'. These songs include the ever-loved 'Uncle Kevin' (Slice of Heaven), 'Jerkin It' (Tragedy/Money, Money, Money), 'Vape' (Faith), and 'Pepperoni With Stuffed Crust' (Another One Bites the Dust).
