Term Two marks the beginning of a busy concert season for our four Westlake Girls choirs Nota Bella, Cigno Voce, Cantare and Choralation. On Tuesday, 3 June, we held the annual choirs concert, where all six choirs from both Westlake schools performed their recitals before the Auckland Regionals of NZCF’s The Big Sing.
This year, we invited a guest choir to join our concert. The Auckland members of the New Zealand Youth Choir performed a bracket of pieces. NZYC are touring Europe to compete in two international competitions in July, and we were able to support them with some fundraising through audience donations from this concert.
Westlake has a strong representation at national choir level, and eight members in the current Youth Choir have come through our Westlake choral programme. It was a fantastic evening of wonderful music including a range of styles from classical to contemporary and world music.
A week later, the Westlake choirs travelled to the Auckland Town Hall to compete in the Auckland Regionals of NZCF’s The Big Sing. The Big Sing is the largest choral festival held in the Southern Hemisphere, with over 10,000 high school students performing in choirs around the motu. Auckland is the largest region and most competitive region, with 77 choirs competing over three days. All of the Westlake choirs lifted and delivered their best performances of the year. We are very proud of the consistent quality of our Westlake choirs, as well as of our choristers, who are exemplary ambassadors for our school. A new record was set for the number of choirs performing Pasifika works – 26 choirs (who were maybe inspired by the hit film ‘Tinā’) delivered high-energy singing and dancing to the delight of audiences.
Congratulations to the Nota Bella Choir (directed by Elise Bradley), which was awarded the Best Program by a Junior Choir (for the 4th year running). Choralation (directed by HOD Fiona Wilson) also retained the Best Program by a Mixed Choir trophy. By the end of the term, results will be announced of which top 24 choirs will be selected for the National Finale and the next tier down of 12 choirs selected for Cadenza Upper North Island Festival.
Congratulations and good luck to all our choristers!