By FELICITY BROWN
Disney's new animated feature, Lilo and Stitch, has a New Zealand element to its success.
The North Shore Children's Choir and members of Westlake Girls High School's Key Cygnetures group feature on the soundtrack singing in Hawaiian and English.
A 40-strong choir of 8- to 14-year-olds recorded He Mele
No Lilo and Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride at Auckland's Revolver Studio in April.
Lilo and Stitch has already been released in the United States and opens here in the September school holidays.
A spokesman for the New Zealand distributor, Buena Vista International, said the choir was selected because Disney needed an additional choir to cover the foreign-language versions of the film.
Since New Zealand was part of Polynesia, Disney thought the Hawaiian lyrics in the film would be easy for children here to sing.
Rick Dempsey, vice-president of the Disney voices company DCV, visited during the recording, giving out caps and posters.
The choir also performed at the Hawaiian-themed Lilo and Stitch premiere dinner at Sky City last week.
"They were the icing on the cake," said Bede Stevens, the marketing manager for Buena Vista International New Zealand.
The choir is partly a family affair.
Conductor Vanessa Clarke is daughter to manager Moira Clarke, and sister to 11-year-old Rhianna Clarke, who sings on the soundtrack.
"It's a great way to get out there and express yourself," said Rhianna.
Under the musical direction of Westlake Girls' Elisse Bradley, the 40 children sing in two voices, in canon style - one voice following the other in particular sequence.
The group began rehearsing at the end of last year after Disney contacted them through the National Youth Choir.
"My Mum was really happy and proud," said 9-year-old Nathan Marks, one of only five boys in the production.
Jessie Allen, 14, from Rangitoto College, said members of the choir were excited to hear their voices on the soundtrack.
The film also features six Elvis Presley numbers.
The story centres around the friendship between Stitch, a mischievous dog-like alien on the run from his planet's ruler, and Lilo, an orphaned Hawaiian girl.
Lilo and Stitch opened in the US on June 21, opposite Minority Report.
Mr Stevens said that in its first two weeks of screening, the cartoon had "outperformed" the Tom Cruise/Steven Spielberg movie.
