The first time that Hilary really hit the high notes
Seven Sharp’s Hilary Barry farewelled one of her great passions when she accepted a job as a television news reporter in 1993.
Fulltime work, and turning 25, meant Barry could no longer sing with the New Zealand Youth Choir. But next Friday, she’ll dash from TVNZ’s central Auckland studios to Parnell’s Holy Trinity Cathedral for a reunion with the group that meant so much to her.
The choir, founded by the late Guy Jansen, celebrates its 40th anniversary with a star-studded concert followed by a South Pacific performance cruise.
Choir alumni includes opera stars Simon O’Neill, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Anna Leese, Jonathan Lemalu and Madeleine Pierard and Sol3Mio members Amitai and Pene Pati and Moses MacKay. Barry won’t be singing but will speak about the good times she had as a young chorister.
“Every school holidays — back then it was the May and August school holidays — members travel from all around the country to rehearse and sometimes tour. I remember the summer of 1990 as a particularly special time because we performed for the Queen at Waitangi and at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Auckland.
“I love singing, especially choral singing,” says Barry, whose favourite piece of choral music is Schumann’s Herr erhore meine Worte. “There’s something quite special about singing with other people and the feeling the vibrations of other people’s voices and hearing the incredible harmonies you make together.
“To be able to express yourself in song is so good for you; it lifts you mentally, emotionally and spiritually and when you spend so much time singing with the same group of people — and touring with them and sharing accommodation and experiences — you form really close bonds.”
She says a recent Seven Sharp story, during which she and fellow presenter Jeremy Wells auditioned for roles in the musical Les Miserables, had her remembering how much she loved singing and how she missed being part of a choir.
“Even if you don’t — or can’t — do it professionally, I would say try to keep singing with a choir as a much-loved pastime.”
Next week’s concert features Pasifika music and new takes on wellknown Christmas songs, including a new arrangement, Nova, Nova, Ave fit ex Eva, by Igelese Ete.
A former Youth Choir member, Ete helped create the soundtrack for the Disney hit Moana, worked on Lord of the Rings and is now head of performing arts at the University of South Pacific.
After the reunion show, the choir joins the cruise ship MS Maasdam for a 17-day Pacific tour which involves two concerts at sea for 1150 passengers and performances in Tonga, Niue, Fiji and New Caledonia.
Music director David Squire says the choir’s first Pacific tour is a reflection and celebration of its diversity and a tribute to Pacific music.