Young stars showcase musical talents at Tauranga Primary Schools Music Festival 2019

Oropi Primary School students closed off the Tauranga Primary Schools Music Festival on Friday night. Photo / Kristin Macfarlane

Talent comes in many forms and primary aged children from around Western Bay have been able to showcase those skills and get a feel for what it's like to be a performer on stage in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Tauranga is a hive of budding talent and when the audience lights went out and the stage lighting came on, many of those students captured the crowds at the Tauranga Primary Schools Music Festival last week.

Over five nights last week, Monday to Friday, a total of 32 primary and intermediate schools from around the district performed at Baycourt Theatre as part of this year's annual Tauranga Primary Schools Music Festival 2019, with the theme of "Songs from Movies".

Tauranga Primary School choir perform for the audience. Photo / Kristin Macfarlane

While I could only make it to Friday night's session when students from Kaimai, Oropi, Taumata, Tauranga Primary, Tauriko and Whakamarama schools took to the stage under bright lights, the festival's stage manager Adele Marsden says the talent on show every night was impressive.

From the stunning voices, the attention-grabbing and natural entertainers to the budding stars who gave their all in their performance, there was no shortage of enthusiastic young stars celebrating through song and dance.

Songs such as The Greatest Showman's A Million Dreams, Safe and Sound from Hunger Games, Dolly Parton's Nine To Five and Colours of the Wind from Pocahontas helped set the scene for the mass choir throughout the night, with each school choir also performing their own themed set. There was no shortage of performances celebrating Oliver, Mama Mia and Annie before a well-oiled Oropi School closed off the show.

The Tauranga Primary Schools Music Festival is no new concept. The successful event has been running for 64 years with its popularity growing over the years. But with about 1400 kids this year, Adele says they really are at capacity.

Primary schools across Tauranga joined forced for the Tauranga Primary Schools Music Festival on Friday. Photo / Kristin Macfarlane

And behind every successful event there is always a group of passionate people working hours on end behind the scenes and the Tauranga Primary Schools Music Festival is no different.

Adele is just one of those people imperative to the event. Others include conductor Carol Storey and accompanists Andrea Meredith on piano, Jeff Baker on the drums and music maestro Murray Mason - all of whom put in many hours over many months to ensure the young performers are able to be part of a very professional and quality showcase.

The Tauranga Primary Schools Music Festival gives the city's budding performers the chance to showcase themselves and that's worth celebrating.