Diocesan School Takes Top Awards Two Years Running

Diocesan School Choir Takes Top Awards Two Years Running

A Diocesan School for Girls choir which scooped the top two awards at this year’s THE KIDS SING competition is the only choir to achieve such a high accolade in the Auckland competition for two years running.

Year 7 and 8 students in Diocesan’s Virtuoso Voce choir were awarded top marks and won a gold medal for their overall performance of three pieces – Sing Jubilate Deo,Vois Sur Ton Chemin, and Side by Side.

The 47-strong Virtuoso Voce choir also won the top award for the performance of Side by Side as their test piece.

St Cuthbert College’s Song Squad and Murray’s Bay Intermediate School’s Notables, were the other two choirs to win gold medals for their overall performances in the Full Primary section of the competition.

Adjudicator Neil Schroff told Virtuoso Voce’s leader Aakanksha Desai that he found the choir’s performance “truly inspirational”.

Diocesan was one of 18 Auckland schools to take part in THE KIDS SING, which is open to primary and intermediate school children and was held this year in the Auckland Town Hall on August 11 and 12.

THE KIDS SING is one of three competitions run by the National Office of the New Zealand Choral Federation. The federation also runs the THE BIG SING, which is open to secondary school choirs and THE CLASSIC SING, in which community choirs can compete.

Diocesan music teacher and Virtuoso Voce’s musical director Shona McIntyre-Bull was instrumental in establishing THE KIDS SING in 1998 to fill a gap in competitions available for primary and intermediate school choirs.

Mrs McIntyre-Bull says the competition, which is held regionally around the country, has gone from strength to strength and the standard continues to improve.

“This was a platinum performance. I’m very proud of the work put in by these girls The competition is a wonderful way for students to learn from other choirs and share repertoire and for choral directors to learn from each other.”

ENDS

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