The Takapau Dance Buddies rock 'n' rolled to Pretty Woman.
The Takapau Dance Buddies rock 'n' rolled to Pretty Woman.
Dannevirke’s Viking Choir, with a range of invited guest performers, performed its first concert of the year Let Us Entertain You in the Fountain Theatre recently and a full auditorium thoroughly enjoyed the show.
Under new conductor Lyn Falconer, the choir performed a wide variety of numbers - opening the concert with the rollicking Sentimental Journey and then plunging into the wistful harmonies of Shenandoah.
Tempo increased sharply again as the choir gathered on the fringes of the stage to make way for rock ‘n’ roll club the Takapau Dance Buddies and the song Locomotion. Dressed in bright regalia seven couples performed to the choir’s item with great energy and enjoyment some pretty intricate moves featuring much to the delight of the audience.
They then went on to perform several more items including some rhythmic line dances and returned later in the second half with more toe-tapping fun to such recorded standards as Roy Orbison’s Pretty Woman.
DHS Senior Talent Quest winner Ashton Ward sang The Devil Wears A Suit and Tie.
The Viking Choir also presented two top performers from Dannevirke High School’s talent quest, starting with Year 13 student and senior winner Ashton Ward whose remarkable bass voice filled the theatre with The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie and House of the Rising Sun.
Dannevirke's Brass Band performed The Wellerman
Behind the scenes and mid-stage curtains the Dannevirke Brass Band was setting up to perform. It was a spectacular sight with the brass gleaming and the very smooth sound of 19 musicians filling the theatre with such songs as the old TV1 sign-off Goodnight Kiwi and an equally old whaling sea shanty which has gained recent popularity The Wellerman.
The band is expanding in numbers with some youngsters playing after rehearsing for just a month, but under Conductor Linda Kendrick’s direction the combination of young and older was wonderful and brought to a conclusion an enjoyable half.
They joined with the Dannevirke Pipe Band to play Highland Cathedral.
After a delicious supper of home-made fare and cups of tea/coffee the second half began with five members of the Dannevirke Pipe Band marching in through the auditorium to join the Brass Band and play together the March of Kelvin Grove and the ever-popular Highland Cathedral.
Tyrese Whakaruru, DHS Junior Talent Quest winner, sang All Of Me.
With mid-curtains again pulled to allow the Brass Band to depart, DHS Junior Talent Quest winner Tyrese Whakaruru took the stage singing in his beautiful tenor voice All Of Me, which had the teenagers in the audience in particular responding enthusiastically and Purea Nei, a waiata made popular by Anna Coddington, the title meaning “cleanse and renew.”
This quartet - Lyn Falconer (left), Helen Carver, Sela Byrne and Sue Giddens - performed a beautiful Tongan hymn.
After the Takapau Dance Buddies had upped the tempo, a beautiful peaceful Tongan hymn Ilonga Ha Taha was sung by a quartet with lead Sela Byrne accompanied by Lyn Falconer, Helen Carver and Sue Giddens.
Soloist Hope Welsh sings Oh Happy Days with the Viking Choir.
The Viking Choir conducted by Lyn Falconer sang Empty Chairs At Empty Tables.
This brought on the finale with the Viking Choir singing five numbers, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Fields Of Gold, You Raise Me Up, O Happy Days and concluding with a new version of The Irish Blessing.
These comprised unison and four-part singing with different parts of the choir taking the lead in turn to reflect the growth in numbers of the choir (to 20). You Raise Me Up also featured alto Hope Welsh and soprano Monique Ashford in solos “Whoopi Goldberg” style.
Some of these numbers will again feature in the St Joseph’s 125th Anniversary Concert in the Church on June 4 at 2pm when Patrick Power will be the lead attraction.
