Striking a chord . . .
Helen Knott (17), a year 13 pupil at St Hilda’s Collegiate School, was the first of four young lyricists to perform to a crowd of about 30 people, at an ‘‘Unplugged Live’’ show in the window of the Dunedin Fringe Festival Office in Princes St, Dunedin, yesterday evening.
Miss Knott said performing live in the main street was ‘‘definitely a new experience’’, but was ‘‘really cool, such a good opportunity’’ and she was grateful for everything organisers had done to arrange the event, and earlier Otago Access Radio (Oar) broadcasts.
Other performers were Oscar Tobeck, Trent Hawthorne and Melicen Barber, of Kaikorai Valley College, Taieri High School and Logan Park High School, respectively.
The event was a joint effort by Oar, the Dunedin Unesco City of Literature, the Fringe Festival and the Dunedin City Council.
Yesterday’s performers were among 10 young Dunedin lyricists who performed during an earlier weekly season of Oar ‘‘Youth Zone’’ broadcasts, starting in April and ending last month.
Oar station manager Lesley Paris said the station had run seasons of broadcasts by young Dunedin musicians, since 2014, but this was the first year that only original songs had been performed, and the first associated public performance.
She had been ‘‘surprised’’ and delighted by the talent on show.