Who are V8?
V8 Vocal Ensemble was formed in 1998 and performs a wide variety of music. Repertoire has included music from such diverse composers as Mendelssohn, Bardos, Gershwin, Carole King, Lotti, Rutter, U2 as well as music from all sorts of genres. Recently there has been a focus more on music written especially for smaller vocal groups, such as that sung by the King's Singers and the Swingle Singers.
The singers in V8 are all current or former members of the New Zealand Youth Choir and/or Voices New Zealand. All have represented New Zealand overseas at festivals and competitions with these choirs.
Current V8 Singers
Virginia Le Cren
Virginia grew up in Havelock North singing duets with her sister. It is hardly surprising that, coming from a family of teachers, she ended up doing the same thing. Virginia has sung with dozens of groups and is a founding member of Voices New Zealand. She spends most of her free time renovating the house, while also looking after her three gorgeous wee boys: Henri, Hugo and Luca.
Celia Aspey-Gordon
Celia was born in the Deep South and moved to Wellington in her teens. She then rejoined the northern drift and left the capital for Auckland's sunny climes late last century. She was a founding member of Voices New Zealand but now instead of spending her holidays singing, she spends them with her lovely kids Lachlan, Benjamin and Olivia. Having a hyphenated name since her marriage to Tony has greatly increased her artistic potential. Celia studied business rather than music at University and is now a Marine Underwriting & Risk Executive in the insurance field.
Carolyn Medland
Secondary school English and Music teacher, vocal coach, school and community choir director and mother of three boys, Cal has been singing in choirs since she was considerably smaller than she is now. A past member of the NZ Youth Choir, Auckland University Singers, Viva Voce, Voices NZ, as well as being a Queen City Big Band vocalist (going a long way back into the history books there!), she is one of the three remaining original members of V8. 
Judy Dale
Judy has a degree in Theatre & Film and Japanese from her beloved home town of Wellington, and is a feature film production coordinator in Auckland on big-budget films such as Narnia’s ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ and ‘Prince Caspian’. She is a past member of the ‘Choir of the World’ winning Tower NZ Youth Choir, and she and her husband Corey are the delighted parents of Sylvie and Oliver.
Lachlan Craig
It is with great pleasure that V8 welcomes Lachlan to the group. Lachlan has a BMus in Performance Voice from the University of Auckland and is currently pursuing Postgraduate Study in Choral Conducting, while directing choirs at Saint Kentigern College and Rangitoto College. He also sings in Voices NZ, NZ Youth Choir, Auckland Chamber Choir and the Age of Discovery. He is the youngest member of the group, and in his spare time you may catch him playing the bagpipes, accompanied by a fine single malt.
Andrew Milner-White
Andy is our resident corporate high-flier, currently taming the telecommunications sector in his role at Telecom Wholesale. He is also the proud father of Charlotte and James with partner Sarah. In between other singing gigs with Voices New Zealand and the University of Auckland Chamber Choir, Andrew loves spending time outdoors with his young family. Apart from a three year stint overseas (and the second half of 2010), Andrew has been singing with V8 since 1999.
Rowan Johnston
Rowan originally hails from New Plymouth and is HOD Music at Westlake Girls High School. He is a multi-talented flautist, pianist, guitarist and percussionist in his Taranaki-based Celtic band, 'Shaskeen Reel'. He sings with Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and looks dashing in his attractive red cassock when singing with the Holy Trinity Cathedral Choir.