Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Kaitāia College choir ‘impressed, delighted and captivated’ at major choral competition in Auckland

Myjanne Jensen
By Myjanne Jensen
Editor·Northern Advocate·
27 Jun, 2023 04:57 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
The Kaitāia College choir, Nga Reo o Kaitāia, performing at last week's The Big Sing 2023-NZCF Festival at Auckland Town Hall.

The Kaitāia College choir, Nga Reo o Kaitāia, performing at last week's The Big Sing 2023-NZCF Festival at Auckland Town Hall.

There didn’t appear to be a dry eye at the Auckland Town Hall last week following a Far North college choir’s powerful performance at a major choral festival.

Kaitāia College choir Ngā Reo o Kaitaia were so outstanding at The Big Sing 2023 - New Zealand Choral Federation (NZCF) festival that they received a standing ovation, two awards and a place at the Upper North Island Cadenza in Rotorua in August.

The 2023 event was the choir’s second time at the festival, this year featuring almost 70 secondary school choirs from across Auckland and Northland singing over three days.

Kaitāia College Year 12 student and soprano singer Cariss Strong-Puckett took part in the choir’s debut at last year’s The Big Sing event.

She said it was incredible to perform again and was still on a high.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“I was in tears pretty much since we got off stage, I was so proud of us, it was such a cool feeling,” Strong-Puckett said.

“Compared to last year when we didn’t come out with anything, it felt surreal and almost like a shock when they called out our name.

“And the standing ovation, oh my god, I can’t put into words - coming from a small town, that feeling was just incredible.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Ngā Reo o Kaitāia choir members (from left): Noah Mcbirney-Warnes, Remy Herbert, Cariss Strong-Puckett, Iosefa Mauri-Itieli Peri-Leigh Samson and Narzayah Rasmussen.
Ngā Reo o Kaitāia choir members (from left): Noah Mcbirney-Warnes, Remy Herbert, Cariss Strong-Puckett, Iosefa Mauri-Itieli Peri-Leigh Samson and Narzayah Rasmussen.

Fellow Ngā Reo o Kaitāia member, Year 13 student and alto singer Remy Herbert said she too felt a sense of pride as the only choir representing the Far North.

She said it had been intimidating performing against the larger schools, but credited their performance to music teacher Dr Opeloge Ah Sam and other adults who’d helped along the way.

“I feel pretty accomplished as I didn’t have a lot of hope going up against some of those Auckland schools who’ve been practicing since last year,” Herbert said.

“It was pretty nerve-racking as we weren’t as technically proficient as some of the other choirs, so it was an honour to get those awards.

“The standing ovation was also amazing, especially when every other choir stood up.”

Ngā Reo o Kaitāia performed three pieces at the festival: popular Crowded House ballad Don’t Dream It’s Over (fused with te reo Māori), RnB classic Wake Up Everybody and hymn Pie Jesu.

For their performance of Don’t Dream It’s Over, the choir received a Gala Performance Award - For the Choir Which Impressed, Delighted and Captivated the Audience and a second trophy for Excellent Performance of an Other Styles’ Work for Wake Up Everybody.

Ah Sam is renowned not only in the Far North but nationally and internationally for his musical ability, particularly in the choral space.

The Kaitāia College Music and Arts teacher said it was an emotionally-charged performance and for some of his students, the trip alone had been a huge moment.

“I love these kids - it’s why I teach and put in the hours with them and all my music teacher friends will know what I mean,” Ah Sam said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“I do this because I too experienced many years ago various moments in music experiences like this that impacted my life forever.

“I’m forever thankful to the people that impacted my journey along the way in the choral space and who gave me the opportunity to pass these experiences on to my students.”

NZCF chief executive Christine Argyle said this year’s event had seen the number of schools taking part back up to 2019 pre-Covid levels.

Argyle put this down to a conscious effort to make the festival more accessible and inclusive of all students and the wide range of styles they may bring.

Ngā Reo O Kaitaia on the Big Sing 2023 stage at the Auckland Town Hall.
Ngā Reo O Kaitaia on the Big Sing 2023 stage at the Auckland Town Hall.

She said it was particularly pleasing to see Kaitāia College travel so far for the event.

“It’s fantastic and the fact their choir came all that way shows the commitment and dedication of the kids and their amazing choir director,” Argyle said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Winning that audience award clearly demonstrated the choir sang with real heart.

“Being the best technical choir is one thing, but to move people, that’s what this is all about.”

Unsure if the choir would get the okay to attend the Rotorua Cadenza, Ah Sam said Ngā Reo o Kaitāia was now focused on their trip to Samoa to take part in the Pacific Island nation’s most anticipated annual event, the Teuila Festival.

According to Samoa Travel, the annual September festival was all about celebrating Samoan and Polynesian culture, with cuisine displays, traditional dance performances, canoe racing and more.

Ah Sam, who has whakapapa to Samoa, said it was important to show his students the importance of connecting to your culture, which he believed made a person strong and confident.

“I’ve always felt your identity is an important thing to be aware of and our result in The Big Sing speaks to that,” Ah Sam said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Our repertoire was different to any of the other groups and for me, rather than trying to fit something, it’s important to be confident in whoever you are because that’s what makes you stand out.

“For us that’s what’s worked and in Samoa they’ll see how strong the youth are in their culture and that knowing their own identity is something to be proud of.”

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Hat-trick helps secure Northland NPC win over Southland

Northern Advocate

Kawakawa Bowling Club under water in latest deluge

Watch
Northern Advocate

Volunteer says flood impact worst since 1988, despite $7.65m works


Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Hat-trick helps secure Northland NPC win over Southland
Northern Advocate

Hat-trick helps secure Northland NPC win over Southland

Northland enjoyed 57% territory and 55% possession by halftime.

10 Aug 04:30 AM
Kawakawa Bowling Club under water in latest deluge
Northern Advocate

Kawakawa Bowling Club under water in latest deluge

Watch
10 Aug 04:00 AM
Volunteer says flood impact worst since 1988, despite $7.65m works
Northern Advocate

Volunteer says flood impact worst since 1988, despite $7.65m works

10 Aug 04:00 AM


Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’
Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

04 Aug 11:37 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP