On Thursday August 29, six choirs from Whanganui schools and four choirs from Manawatu schools will sing at the Prince Edward Auditorium, Whanganui Collegiate for the annual regional The Kids' Sing festival. The choirs will present their widely varied bracket of pieces from 10am to midday and from 12.45 to 2pm. Theday will end with a massed sing of about 320 young voices.
Choirs will compete for bronze, silver and gold awards in the graded section as well as special awards for best performance of a New Zealand work, choir soloist, choir instrumentalist, best stage presentation and the Adjudicator's Award. All choirs including those not competing for graded awards will receive a written report from the Adjudicator, Megan Flint of Taupo.
The Kids' Sing' is promoted by the NZ Choral Federation and is held annually in a number of the Federation's regions throughout New Zealand. The Manawatu-Whanganui Regional Committee is responsible for the coming Festival at Whanganui. The event is being co-ordinated by Roy Tankersley, MNZM, who is well known in the Whanganui and Manawatu areas.
Choirs from Whanganui come from St George's School Chapel Choir and Special Choir, and from Whanganui Intermediate, Rutherford Junior High, Mosston School and the Te Awa Kids' Choir. The Manawatu Choirs are from Feilding Intermediate, Russell Street School, Shannon and Turitea Schools. Choirs range in size from the smallest of 15 singers to the large Turitea choir of 100 singers.
Adjudicator Megan Flint is a highly qualified choral expert who comes with an impressive CV. Her qualifications include M.Mus (Hons), B Ed, Dip.Tchg.and ATCL, Voice. Megan has a background in education and is a past member of the New Zealand National Youth Choir (1997-1999) and sings with Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir (2006-present) and also sang with the Auckland University Chamber Choir before moving to Taupo. Megan completed her Masters degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Auckland with Dr Karen Grylls and was awarded the Australian Kodaly Certificate by the Kodaly Music Education Institute of Australia. She is co-author of Hear Our Voices, a handbook for leaders of children's choirs and presents the successful national workshop series Primary Gestures for the NZ Choral Federation.
All are welcome to come and hear these young enthusiastic singers in the Prince Edward Auditorium, (entry from Liverpool Street) Adult admission — koha at the door.
