Palmerston North couple Daniel and Bronte Hodgetts.
Palmerston North couple Daniel and Bronte Hodgetts.
It’s Palmy’s very own musical love story.
He was a former Palmerston North Boys' High School student. She went to Palmerston North Girls' High. Although both were from musical families, they only “sort of” knew each other.
It was a shared love of music that brought Daniel and Bronte Hodgetts together and helped Cupid’s arrow find its mark.
They began dating, romance blossomed, and this month they married at St Albans Church in Palmerston North.
“It was crazy. We had so much in common. I found my person,” Daniel said.
Now the newly-weds are about to represent New Zealand internationally as members of the New Zealand Youth Choir at prestigious competitions in Asia and Europe next year.
They’re both school teachers, Bronte teaching Year 6 at Cornerstone Christian School and Daniel has a class of new entrants at Milson School.
Bronte said they both started each school day by using music to engage with the class.
“Singing is just so good for kids. It’s so healthy,” she said.
“We start every day with waiata. It gets you breathing and gets oxygen moving to the brain.”
Growing up in the diverse Palmerston North music scene was instrumental to their development as musicians, they said.
They both started playing musical instruments first. The singing came later.
Daniel said his father taught him violin, who was taught violin by his father before him. His singing journey began with his school choir the OK Chorale. He also plays other instruments like trombone and was involved with the Manawatū Youth Orchestra and Boys' High Stage Band.
Bronte’s first instrument was the cello. She played in chamber music groups and the Manawatū Youth Orchestra, she discovered her love for singing through leading the worship team at church and strives to share her passion for music by directing primary school musicals.
As you might imagine, their home is filled with song. They have a spare room dedicated to music.
Both are active musicians in the community, being featured soloists and regular members of the Renaissance Singers, a Palmerston North-based choir that formed in 1975.
The Renaissance Singers at a recent concert in Palmerston North.
They’re now practising for a series of Christmas concerts.
As part of their fundraising efforts for the tour, there will be a choir concert featuring the local section of the New Zealand Youth Choir at St Peter’s Church in Palmerston North on November 30 at 4pm.
Called The Firefly Awakens, Daniel and Bronte will perform as featured soloists. The concert will also perform at Wellington on December 1, Masterton on December 15, Kāpiti on December 21, and Martinborough on December 22.
The New Zealand Youth Choir will also compete at the Grand Prix of Nations music competition in Denmark and the Choir of the World competition in Wales.
Fundraising concert details:
WHAT: The Firefly Wakens: New Zealand Youth Choir Christmas Fundraising Concert
