Male choirs combine in concert at NP Club
A special concert that anyone can enjoy is coming up on Wednesday, March 1 and it’s absolutely free.
The Taranaki Male Choir will join with the Wagga City Rugby Male Choir to present Trans Tasman Brothers in Song at the New Plymouth Club at 7.30pm.
My knowledge of Australian geography is sketchy at best, so I Googled Wagga Wagga (as you do) and found that it is a city of around 56,000 people in New South Wales, conveniently located about halfway between Sydney and Melbourne on something of a transport hub, which leads to it being very strong in sporting and cultural groups. Among its historical claims to fame are that it was once considered for the new capital, and that Dame Edna Everage was supposedly born there, as was the Yellow Wiggle.
It’s not quite clear from the publicity material where the rugby bit comes into the choir, other than that it is associated with a rugby club. Nothing suggests that members have to have played rugby, because it is open to all. The 90-strong group meets for the joy of singing together and has many accomplishments, including hosting Choir Spectaculars, the Australian National Boys Choir and undertaking a tour of Germany and Great Britain in 2010. In 2013, the choir toured Tonga and New Zealand and sang with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra. Australia seems to produce choirs with great names: listed highlights include working with the Spooky Men’s Chorale and the director of the Choir of Hard Knocks.
The programme will include brackets by each choir individually and combined items, under the batons of WCRMC Music Director Judy Ferguson and Acting MD of the TMC Peter Jackson, while Leonie Hunter accompanies.
The year’s programme at Studio 64 in Inglewood opens on Sunday, February 26 with an afternoon concert with Hard Candy at 1.30pm, offering ‘‘a seriously hot picked mix of country, boogie and blues’’, $15 at the door.
Looking For Alaska was a featured act at the Auckland Folk Festival and has opened for the likes of Fly My Pretties and Herbs. Catch their country-style guitar and soaring harmonies at the 4th Wall Theatre on Saturday, March 4 at 7.30pm. Book at 4th Wall.
The Taranaki Youth Orchestra has recommenced rehearsals on Wednesdays at Sacred Heart College PAC from 6-8pm, with an exciting programme planned for the year. They welcome young string, woodwind, brass and percussion players. Contact conductor, Jocelyn Beath, for further information joc.beath@xtra.co.nz or 0211441681.
Don’t Forget: Thursday February 16 Lunchtime Organ Recital Taranaki Interim Cathedral 12.15pm
Tuesday February 21: NZ Air Force Band TSB Theatre, 7.00pm
Looking Ahead: Sunday March 5: Taranaki Jazz Club ‘Ritz Big Band’