The Craighead Chorale has once again achieved success at the Otago-South Canterbury regional finale of The Big Sing.
The chorale took home the prestigious John Leslie Trophy for “best performance of an ownchoice selection”, and has been selected to take part in the South Island Cadenza on August 21 and 22, held in Timaru.
The annual competition brings together secondary school choirs from across the region to celebrate choral excellence and compete for a place at the national finale and one of three area Cadenza events.
Under the direction of teacher in charge Emma Hall, the chorale presented a varied programme featuring the New Zealand waiata E Papa, arranged by Vicki McLeod, Elaine Hagenberg’s contemporary choral work O Love, and the jazz standard Orange Coloured Sky, arranged by Kirby Shaw.
In a statement, Ms Hall said she was immensely proud of the students and their dedication throughout the year.
“The girls have shown tremendous vocal growth throughout the year and should be very proud of what they accomplished.
“I was also proud of the way they supported not only each other, but all the choirs participating in the competition, reflecting the true spirit of The Big Sing.”
The award recognises the choir that delivered the most outstanding own choice performance of the competition and is a significant achievement among the region’s leading school choirs.
Months of rehearsals and preparation contributed to the result, as students worked hard to refine their sound and performance skills. The success reflected the commitment of the singers, accompanists, student leaders, and staff who support the ensemble.
Choirs selected for the finale and the Cadenza events were announced earlier this week and Ruby Jackson, a year 13 member of the chorale, said she was thrilled to find out the group was selected for Cadenza again in her final year of school.
The choir now needs to learn one more item for Cadenza in August with two days of adjudicated sessions and a gala concert on the evening of August 22. — Allied Media
