Feedback from our Musical Director, David Hamilton

David Hamilton

SingDownunder Festival

The words of one of my own students said it all: “Yesterday was awesome and fun and I can’t wait until next year for it again.” SingDownunder launched successfully at the end of July with 11 Auckland choirs performing and competing alongside the Youth Chorale of the National Children’s Choir and Youth Chorale of Australia. Covering a wide range of music, the competitive aspect of the event allowed choirs to show off their best singing. Choirs from south Auckland such as Multichoral (Mangere College) and Front Row Choir (Aorere College) brought with them pieces from the Maori and Polynesian tradition which were received enthusiastically by the assembled audience. Other choirs stuck more closely to traditional choral repertoire, with many including pieces by New Zealand composers.

However SingDownunder is much more than just a competition, and the Saturday afternoon was filled with massed choir rehearsals. Pieces for mixed voices (“Lacrymosa” from Mozart’s ‘Requiem’, and an engaging “Ave Maria” by Spanish composer Ramiro Real) and new piece for treble voices (my own “The Voices of Children” especially written for the event) were rehearsed and then sung in the evening’s gala concert.

Fellow adjudicators Faye Dumont (one of Australia’s top choral experts from Melbourne) and Peter Watts (Auckland) enjoyed the mix of competition and massed singing, and have made helpful suggestions for the next festival in 2011. And most importantly the singers (and conductors) appreciated the opportunity to work with different conductors and also to get some instant feedback after their performances.

Next year’s festival is in early July – the earlier dates being time preferred by choirs from the northern hemisphere. Watch for information early in the new year, and make sure you’re part of this new and exciting event on the Auckland, and national choral scene.

David Hamilton
Music Director
SingDownunder Choral Festival