Mrs Payne has been involved in choirs for most of her life, starting in the Garrison Choir near Stonehenge in England when she was 10 and later performing in Wairarapa choirs like the Masterton Chorus Society and the Wairarapa Singers, while also performing overseas, in North Wales and on one occasion at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York.
She joined the Wellington-based Orpheus Choir in 2005, after a "nervous" audition and has been driving over the Rimutakas once a week for rehearsals ever since.
The upcoming concert will be a unique experience for Mrs Payne because it doubles as both a performance and a tribute.
"This performance will be quite different. It will be an emotional concert and a very special commemoration."
Mrs Payne described the sound of Ross Harris' composition If Blood be the Price, as a "strident performance with grit and grime, noise and filth and the clashing of rocks".
She is particularly excited to be performing with Dobbyn but didn't wish to give too much away about his composition other than saying the mood of the performance is designed to be reflective but hopeful.
"All miners experience dark and gloom, but this is music with hope."
Dobbyn said he was honoured to receive the commission for the concert.
"I am deeply honoured to be asked by the Orpheus Choir to write a piece for the Pike River 29 and their families and community.
"Having met some of the miners' bereaved families and their advocates, I'm very close to the task now. Their grief is compounded by the ongoing travesty of Pike River.
"It's an injustice that is heart-wrenching and a story that must be etched into the heart and mind of every New Zealander," he said.
The concert will be held on Saturday May 10 at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington. Tickets cost $20- $60 and can be purchased via Ticketek.
