Choirs and 570 voices triumph at Hastings' Kids Sing Festival

Amelia Dear from Woodford House conducts the school choir. Photo / Warren Buckland

About 570 young voices descended on the school choirs East Coast Kids Sing Festival held in Hastings this week.

The Kids Sing is the junior version of The Big Sing involving primary and intermediate school choirs.

The choirs were divided into two categories: contributing primary schools and full primary schools.

Thirteen school choirs took part this year. In the contributing primary category was Taradale Primary School, Mahora School, Haumoana School Juniors, Parkvale School, Haumoana Seniors and Havelock North Primary.

In the full primary category was Havelock North Intermediate, Taradale Intermediate, Iona College, Hereworth Les Jeunes, Woodford House, Hereworth St James and Heretaunga Intermediate.

The overall winner of the contributing primary category was Haumoana Junior Choir from Haumoana School and the commentator's choice was the Mahora School Choir for Whiti te Marama.

The overall winner in the full primary category was the St James Chapel Choir from Hereworth School and the adjudicator's choice was Havelock North Voices from Havelock North Intermediate for Firefly.

The Kids Sing festival was held at Toitoi – Hawke's Bay Arts & Events Centre Opera House on Tuesday November 3 and commentated by Susan Melville who was impressed with the diction and range of voices and instruments.

Events are held around the country annually, but some festivals in other cities had to be postponed or cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Woodford House choir performing at The Kids Sing on Tuesday. Photo / Warren Buckland

Event MC Lynda Pipe. Photo / Warren Buckland

One of the Hereworth School choirs performing at The Kids Sing. Photo / Warren Buckland