High school choirs perform to full house at Big Sing competition

Clapping their hands as percussion while they sang, Nelson College for Girls (NCG) students were among 166 students from the top of the south taking part in this year’s choral competition, the Big Sing.

Seven choirs from five high schools took part in the regional phase of the secondary school competition at Blenheim’s ASB Theatre on June 6.

NZ Choral Federation chair Nelson/Marlborough, Lucy Rainey, said NCG choir Bel Canto’s rendition of Sih’r Khalaq by Jim Papoulis made for “a very exciting performance” in front of a full house.

“People were hand-clapping around the choir at different times, and putting wonderful percussive elements into the piece.”

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Bel Canto, with choral director Zoe Dee, won the Open Choice category, was commended and came second in the New Zealand composer category.

Rainey said another highlight was Nayland College choir, Sotto Voce’s performance of Karakia of the Moon by David Hamilton, winning the choir the NZ Composer category.

Sotto Voce, also directed by Zoe Dee, was also highly commended, and came 1st in the Choral Art category, and 2nd in Open Choice.

Marlborough College for Boys took out the new best piece in Te Reo Māori prize – the first time the category had been introduced to the competition.

Marlborough College for Boys choir Synergy, with Robin Randall also claimed the regional spirit of the festival, and heart of the festival.

Marlborough Girls College’s choir Ovation, directed by Christianna Morgan, won second place in Choral Art Music, and was commended.

Nayland College’s Naycol Chorale with music director Nigel Weeks was also commended.

Guest adjudicator was choral conductor, Michael Stewart, also one of the country’s leading concert organists.

It was the first time NCG and Marlborough Boys’ College had taken part in the secondary school competition – run by the New Zealand Choral Federation – for several years, Rainey said.

Singing in a choir was a “wonderful way” for young people to come together, and engendered a love of music throughout their lives, she said.

“We just believe that it [singing] is a birth right.

“Everybody loves to run, everybody loves to get together … we just think singing is one of those absolutely native qualities, and it’s wonderful to see young singers develop their musical and collaborative and leadership skills from taking part.”

Accompanying musicians were Amen Lee (on piano) Aeris Jackson (violin) Ned Rainey (percussion).

The choirs were yet to find out if they would be among the 60 choirs nationally taking part in either the South Island Cadenza in Timaru, or The Big Sing finale in Auckland in August.