Privilege to hear choir perform
2021-22 New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir St Paul’s Church, Paraparaumu, held on April 24. Reviewed by Anthony Dreaver .. .. ..
T..
hey strode in to rhythmic clapping and singing. They captured us with a Samoan hymn where the girls’ arms flowed like waves. They ended with a forceful waiata — Te Mura o Te Ahi — and left an enthusiastic audience on their feet applauding.
In the hour and a half between we had experienced some of the most engaging music of Sweden,
Canada, Africa, United States and New Zealand, all sung by a multicultural group of young New Zealanders — Mā ori, Pasifika, Pākehā and Asian.
This year’s New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir brings together young men and women from 35 schools to form a vigorous and disciplined team.
Their repertoire ranges from the softness and sweetness of Only in Dreams and Underneath the Stars, through the rich harmonies of New Zealander David Childs’ The Moon is Distant from the Sea, the humour of Eric Whitacre’s evocation of a panther, a firefly and a cow, the drive and conviction of Kirchner’s gospel song Cornerstone and the simplicity of Wairua Tapu, where the singers interpret te reo through the medium of New Zealand sign language.
Each item required a new configuration of the choir, smoothly and swiftly accomplished. Each required intricate interweaving of the vocal sections. And each had a rich and distinctive character.
In Africa, rubbing hands promised rain, clicking fingers evoked the first big drops till, with a united leap, the thunder broke. Several audience members from the former Kā piti Chamber Choir heard one of their favourite pieces, J’entends le moulin, given with driving precision — and none of the slight panic that we remember!
The personal growth that membership of this choir develops is hard to over-estimate. Most have responsibility for a special role, as soloist, instrumentalist, dance leader, section leader or announcer.
The singers accept an intense discipline in learning and vocalising their music in the short time that they are together, yet exude a sense of self-confidence and delight in presenting it. This is a tribute to the personalities and musical skills of the choir’s team: Director Sue Densem, Brent Stewart and Ben Madden.
It was a privilege to hear this concert in the Kā piti district.
For such a youthful and exuberant repertoire, the audience included few contemporaries of the singers. To an extent this is inevitable, since the choir can only get together during school vacations. However, did local schools promote this event as a highlight of the school holidays?
If local students observed this choir’s enjoyment they would be inspired to share the experience.