I’ve already mentioned the opening of the Wellington Arts Festival that our choir is part of. Two more sleeps and it’s on! Wellington peeps, get your arses down to the waterfront, and be part of this epic event. And also, don’t forget to book your tickets for some of the awesome theatre, dance and music that will be filling our city for the next three weeks.
The Festival website says:
As dusk falls, join a cast of thousands on Wellington’s stunning waterfront for the once-in-a-lifetime 2018 New Zealand Festival opening night event, Kupe.
Inspired by the arrival in Aotearoa of great navigator and explorer Kupe, this free, whānau-friendly spectacular is part one of A Waka Odyssey and a landmark celebration of our shared voyaging history. Be a part of history in the making, welcoming a majestic fleet of waka hourua (traditional double-hulled sailing canoes) and their fearless crew, as they sail across the waters of Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington Harbour – a moving finale to their months-long journey from Samoa, the Cook Islands and around New Zealand.
Then let the sounds of the Pacific surround you in this theatrical extravaganza featuring performers, a mass choir, a thousand-strong haka and a musical score by Warren Maxwell (Trinity Roots, Little Bushman).
The Wellington community choir is being joined by the Hutt Valley Community choir and a pop up choir of Cook Island and Samoan singers. There will be about 300 of us singing four original pieces by Warren Maxwell.
Here he is performing with the band Trinity Roots
We started learning these pieces on the 31st January, so have put them together in just over 3 weeks. Tonight, the three choirs will be together for the first time and we’ll be aiming to have all words and music down, so no prompts.
Tomorrow is tech rehearsal down on the waterfront, and the following night we perform.
Our choir usually performs world music, so it’s not too much of a stretch to be singing not in English. And we always sing without sheet music, so we’re used to that as well. We’re singing in five part harmony – bass, tenor, alto, low sopranos & high altos together and a small group of us are high sopranos.
This is what has been a stretch for me. Our parts are higher than we usually sing, so most of our voices are not in shape for it yet. This time last week, I was really struggling with the consistent high notes, and feeling quite strained. So I pleased that on Monday, when we did some work with the Samoan choir, that those bits were much easier and I managed to get the even higher notes in the new bit we learnt. Hopefully tonight those new high notes will be easier too.
I have the words and the music memorised about 95%, so hopefully tonight will cement the rest of it in. I’ve just done a thorough warm up with scales and am off to choir shortly.
PS - 3 hours later - OMG, they threw choreography at us! (To clarify, that's not usually an issue, we just weren't expecting it at this late stage in the game.)
PPS - Just found this {new article on The Dominion Post website about it](https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/101612539/no-pressure-just-new-zealand-festivals-mostambitious-opening), which includes a short (2 min) video, with Warren Maxwell.
Thanks for reading and listening
Video from Youtube, top image from the Festival website.
My previous music posts
• Benefits of joining a community choir ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1957 to 1966 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1967 to 1971 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1972 to 1976 ~
• Singing carols with the NZ Symphony Orchestra PLUS my best loved Christmas music ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1976 to 1983 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1983 to 1988 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1988 to 1994 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1994 to 2001 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 2001 to 2007 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 2008 to 2014 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – some randoms ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – more randoms ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – Kiwi classics ~
• My choir singing on the streets of Wellington ~
• Some New Zealand music ~
• 60 years of music - Musicals I’ve been in ~
• Hang out in my kitchen this weekend - help me cook and listen to some music!
• What Steemit friends are for
• Rest in Peace Dad, and some music to remember you by
• Summer music routine for my arthritis class
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Days 1 to 3
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Day 4
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Days 5 to 7
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Days 8 to 9, part 1
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Days 8 to 9, part 2
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Day 10
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