Kelston Combined Choir

THE BIG SING is a dynamic, national group-singing competition of high standard for secondary school students. Festivals are held in June of each year in eleven New Zealand regions.

This year, there were 184 schools entered with over 8,500 singers from around the country. The Auckland Regional consists of 64 choirs who performed between Monday 11 – Wednesday 13 June at the Auckland Town Hall.

Each choir was required to perform 3 songs of their selection from the following categories: - 1: NZ or Pacific composition; 2: Classical Pre-1930s European composition; 3: Pop/Gospel/Other.

On April 2012, 58 students from both Kelston Girls & Kelston Boys, thanks to the approval of their Principals Linda Fox & Brian Evans combined, to form ‘KELSTON CHOIR’ to take part in the Big Sing. This was the first time in the history of both schools they had formed a combined choir, and able to compete at a national level event.

We want to thank all the leaders, tutors, conductors and vocal coaches - Lydia Ta'ale, Janice Mantell, Daphne Collins, Sina Etimani, as well as Robert Wiremu from the School of Music, University of Auckland; who not only volunteered their time to train these students musically, but had a passion to encourage and ‘believe’ in these students to believe in themselves, and to know that they can do anything in life if they put their hearts and minds to it.