Hereworth School's St James' Chapel Choir took out a gold award as well as the Adjudicators Award with Woodford House at the Kids Sing event yesterday. Photo/Warren Buckland
Hereworth School's St James' Chapel Choir took out a gold award as well as the Adjudicators Award with Woodford House at the Kids Sing event yesterday. Photo/Warren Buckland
Three-hundred primary school children sung their hearts out in Hastings this week, as part of the annual Kids Sing choir festival.
The event is a junior version of the East Coast regional event, The Big Sing for Secondary School Choirs, which was held in Napier in May. Both events comeunder the umbrella of the New Zealand Choral Federation.
The day-long event showcased the talent, vocal ability and hard work of Hawke's Bay's youth.
After a day of rehearsals on Monday, yesterday morning seven choirs from six schools filled the Havelock North Intermediate Auditorium with song for daytime performances, before hundreds of awed parents and family members watched as students showcased their ability at a gala concert in the evening.
Participating schools included Iona College Hereworth, Woodford House, Heretaunga Intermediate, Havelock North Intermediate and Havelock North Primary School.
There were two choirs from Hereworth School; St James' Chapel Choir and Les Jeunes Choristes.
Each choir performed set piece El Cielo Canta Alegria for Intermediates and Will there Really be a Morning for Primary, as well as two songs of their own choice.
The adjudicator was Megan Flint, a director of choirs and teacher of music in schools in Auckland.
Hereworth School director of performing arts, Joanne Stevens said the event gives them an opportunity to "strive for excellence - to be as good as we can be".
"The boys love competition."
Prior to the gala evening, Stevens said the boys were very "satisfied" and "felt quite excited about their performances - they enjoyed it".
"Lots of practice goes in, as it does with all the other schools. Everyone works hard on their pieces and then to enjoy the performance is a bonus."
Kids Sing co-ordinator Ngaire Shand said she was impressed by the standard of singing and the way the choirs presented themselves.
Their main choir; St James' Chapel Choir has 54 members performed The Swing and Fod Oklahoma Folk Song, earning them a gold award as well as the Adjudicators Award with Woodford House.
However, it was Hereworth's Les Juenes Choristes which took out the best overall award and best test piece (full primary). The 18 boys' performed Somewhere Only We Know and The Crocodile (Roald Dahl) as their two other pieces.
The Kids Sing 2018 Awards: Havelock Intermediate - HNI Voices - Silver Havelock Primary School Choir - Silver Hereworth – Les Jeunes Choristes - Gold Iona College Les Petites Voix - Silver Hereworth - St James Chapel Choir - Gold Heretaunga Intermediate – Voices of Heretaunga - Silver Woodford House – Grace Notes - Silver Best Test Piece (contributing ): Havelock Nth Primary Best Test Piece (full Primary): Les Jeunes Choristes Adjudicators Award: Grace Notes/St James Chapel Choir Best Overall Choir: Les Jeunes Choristes
