New  Zealand Choral Federation - Auckland Region

Annual  Report to the AGM,  12 May 2007

The Chairman reports ...............

 

Leonie Lawson has retired as the Chairman of NZCF-Auckland (but remains on the Committee).  What follows is Leonie’s last report as Chairman at the recent AGM:

 

Auckland NZCF activities for the year 2006 began with what has become an annual event – the SKYCITY Starlight symphony held in the Auckland domain on 24 February.  NZCF Auckland is responsible for organising a choir of 500 and for the last two years it has become difficult to reach the required number of singers despite there being 55 member choirs in Auckland and 134 individual members.

 

This is a wonderful publicity opportunity for the New Zealand Choral Federation and those who participate thoroughly enjoy the experience.

 

Branded events

The first of these was THE BIG SING regional festival held 20-21 June with Simon Tipping the adjudicator.  This is an important fixture on the secondary schools’ calendar and approximately 50 school choirs participated in the Town Hall. 

 

Committee members help to assist with tasks at this time under the direction of the coordinator Fraser Faulknor.

 

From this event, four Auckland choirs were chosen to participate in the National Finale: Key Cygnetures (Westlake Girls High School), Mainly Men (Rangitoto College), St Cecilia Singers (Diocesan School for Girls) and The Fundamentals (Rangitoto College.)

 

THE KIDS SING was held in the Town Hall on 25-26 July with 14 schools participating and John Rosser the adjudicator.

 

Bayfield Primary School’s Chamber Choir was awarded the only gold award, the award for the best contributing choir, the award for the best performance of the test piece, and the conductor’s award went to its conductor, Mary Cornish.

 

The award for the best full/primary/intermediate choir went to Song Squad from St Cuthbert’s College.

 

THE CLASSIC SING was scheduled for 14 October and Harbourside Church was booked for this event.  However as only 4 choirs registered, the festival was transferred to Dilworth Junior auditorium.  The committee is looking at ways to encourage more choirs to enter as there is a choice of two sets of entry criteria that cover any type of choir.  This event gives opportunity for community and church choirs to achieve general improvement and raise their musical standards.  Choirs learn a great deal from listening to each other and this festival is a most entertaining and informative event with most helpful and encouraging comments given by the adjudicator James Tibbles.  The progression of THE BIG SING over the years has raised the standards in secondary school choirs, and taking part in competition could do the same at THE CLASSIC SING level.

 

THE BIG SING Finale:  Auckland was host to this event and it demanded huge commitment from the host committee with Maria Winder as coordinator.

 

213 choirs participated in the Regional BIG SINGS and from these, 23 choirs from all over New Zealand were chosen to attend the Finale. It was an inspiration to see the friendship between choirs and their support of each other.  Maria Guinand from Venezuela was the overseas adjudicator along with Guy Jansen, and James Tibbles.

 

The overall winner of the ultimate platinum award was Key Cygnetures from Westlake Girls High School with choral conductor Elise Bradley.

 

Workshops

It was a great opportunity to use the international adjudicator, Maria Guinand for a workshop in Auckland on 19 August as she was here for the Finale.  The title of her workshop was ‘Singing in Style; the Latin American way’ and a good number of singers and conductors took advantage of working with this enthusiastic and engaging conductor who challenged us with complex rhythms and body percussion to accompany the singing.

 

Special General Meeting

In 2006, NZCF-National addressed our commitment to vision and progress and a new constitution and structure was developed.  This was ratified at a special general meeting in October. This put in place the appointing of a new policy building structure headed by a Governance Board.  The first appointees to this Board are: John Rosser (chairman) Dr Karen Grylls, Guy Jansen (Wellington), Michael Littlewood (Secretary,) and Richard Madden (Dunedin).

 

In 1999 I took over the chairmanship of the Auckland committee and this year I am stepping aside from this responsibility.  I have been greatly supported over the years by committee members devoted to choral activities and thank them sincerely for giving their time and energy to this worthy cause.

 

My sincere thanks to the treasurer, Margaret Russell, secretary, Shona McIntyre-Bull, Michael Littlewood, newsletter editor, Myra Smith, Jonathan Sadler, and co-opted member Olive Leddy.  The other member of the committee is Stuart Weightman who is not seeking re-election due to his many responsibilities - our grateful thanks to Stuart for his contribution and arranging the use of the music room here at St Kentigern for our monthly meetings.  It has been a pleasure to work with a group of people who are a team and share the same vision and passion for choral music.

 

In closing, I am encouraged by the many choral activities which take place during the year here in Auckland.  However, we have found it very difficult to get people to support workshops that are solely to offer the opportunity of improving our skills, both as singers and conductors.  I urge choirs to make an effort to attend choral performances as well as preparing their own performances and use opportunities that are offered for their own musical development.

 

Leonie Lawson