Feast of music: Raukura Choir joins in two-day Cadenza competition
Twelve of the best secondary school choirs in the upper North Island will have their voices resonating through the Energy Events Centre, including the Raukura Choir from Rotorua Boys’ High School.
Cadenza is a two-day competition where the 12 choirs compete against and sing with each other.
The gala concert is a culmination of these two days and a feast of music as each choir presents a song individually, as well as performing together in a large massed choir.
Cadenza is organised by the NZ Choral Federation and has grown out of The Big Sing competition.
Upper North Island Cadenza Area co-ordinator Elizabeth Pilaar said the New Zealand Choral Federation organised a huge competition called The Big Sing, which has regional competitions all around the country, and high school choirs from everywhere are welcome to take part.
The local regionals competition was held in Tauranga last month.
From all of the Big Sing competitions around the country, the top 36 choirs are selected to take part in Finale, which will be held over four days in Christchurch this year.
Then, the next 36 choirs are invited to take part in the three Cadenzas, which include the Upper North Island Cadenza being held in Rotorua.
Raukura Choir from Rotorua Boys’ High School has been selected as one of the 12 choirs to take part in the Upper North Island Cadenza.
“It’s always wonderful to have a local choir selected,” Pilaar said. “There are also two from Tauranga, one from Hamilton and eight from Auckland.”
Pilaar said the event was a chance for the community to hear some of the best of the top upper North Island choirs, “and with how many choirs there are out there,
this is a really high standard”.
This is the third time the Upper North Island Cadenza is being held.
She said last year’s Cadenza ended dramatically as the gala concert had to be cancelled an hour beforehand when a new lockdown was announced.
“It was so devastating. We had to turn choirs back and send them home when they were all dressed up, ready to sing. We were relieved to have two days of awesome singing before that though.”
She said the gala concert was a great night out because it was exciting to see the quality of the performances from the young singers.
“They have a freshness and energy that comes from young people. They get nervous for the adjudicated sessions, but when it comes to the gala concert they can let down their hair a little.”
Pilaar said it was an awesome opportunity to have this event in Rotorua and so accessible.
“For the students, they get to see other choirs with different music and how they present themselves differently.
“It is exciting and encouraging for them to see that there are plenty other people doing this and it is a chance to represent their school and choir.”
There are two adjudicated sessions the public are welcome to attend.
These are on August 21, from 2pm to 3.30pm and on August 22, from 10.30am to noon. The adjudicator is Dr Elise Bradley.