Local voices in national choir
A record number of Palmerston North Boys’ High students are performing with the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir.
Five of the 57 selected for the current two-yearly choir cycle are from the school.
The addition of Shania Mikatamihana, 17, from Girls’ High meant two Palmerston North secondary schools had provided slightly more than 10 per cent of the national choir’s voices.
Choral music fans will be able to experience the national choir for 13- to 18-year-olds on Sunday afternoon in the Boys’ High Speirs Centre.
The youngest of the local six is Carson Taare, 15. The talented performer appeared on Sunday in the Esplanade for first of the free Summer Social Concert series with the Swamp City Big Band, where fellow choir member Daniel Hodgetts, 18, plays trombone.
Robin Park, 16, said he and his fellow Boys’ High choir mates were all members of the school’s award-winning OK Chorale, and owe a debt of gratitude to its founder and musical director Graham Young.
‘‘He’s influenced all of us and developed our singing ability, so we can all credit our success to him.’’
Robin said it was a former OK Chorale and Secondary School Choir member Takarangi Te Putulove who sold members of the school’s premier singing ensemble on auditioning for the national choir.
‘‘We can all thank him for insisting we give it a go. It’s a really special group of people, and the opportunity to sing together and share music has been great,’’ Robin said.
Shania, who lives in Pahiatua, but attends Palmerston North Girls’ High and was in the 2017 combined school production of Footloose with fellow choristers Josiah Nevell and Keun Hee Lee, said her school choir director had talked to them about auditioning, and she decided to try out.
‘‘It’s been challenging. I don’t have an intense musical background,’’ Shania said.
Challenging is one word all six agree on. ‘‘It’s also been a lot of fun. I’ve learned a lot about my voice,’’ Daniel said.
In return for giving up one week of every school holidays for two years, choir members learn from top vocal teachers and get to perform regional concerts, such as the one being performed on Sunday. In July, they head to Hong Kong for the ‘‘Belt and Road’’ World Choir Festival, as well as giving performances in Shanghai.
Tickets for the choir’s 2.15pm Speirs Centre matinee are available online at at the door, with the varied multicultural repertoire directed Dr Andrew Withington including works by Eric Whitacre, Shawn Kirchner, Pachelbel, Sydney Guillaume, David N Childs and Puanaki Whanau.