Northlanders urged to make some noise on Armistice Day

Whangārei's Cenotaph, in Laurie Hall Park, above, will be the scene of Armistice Day commemorations in the city on Sunday.

Northlanders are being asked to mark the centennial of the armistice that ended World War I on Sunday with as much noise as they can make.

New Zealanders are responding on land and at sea to WW100's call to create a Roaring Chorus to mark the centenary of the armistice that ended the war in 1918.

At 11.02am on Sunday, November, 11, a cacophony of joyful noise will break the two-minute silence of remembrance being observed nationwide at 11am, recapturing the newfound peace and hope for the future that the signing of the armistice brought.

In Whangārei the Armistice Day commemorations will be held at the Cenotaph, in Laurie Hall Park.

There are multiple community commemorations nationwide incorporating a Roaring Chorus in various ways, including vintage car horns, a mine siren, songs, drumming, cheering, church bells, and even fire sirens and ship horns.

Director of the First World War Centenary Programme WW100, Sarah Davies, said, "The Roaring Chorus invites communities to break the silence in a way that is relevant to them, and it is great that so many communities and organisations are joining the campaign.

"After four years of remembrance, we can now reconnect with the sense of joy and relief that swept the county when news of the end of fighting came through. The thanksgiving and jubilation overwhelmed the New Zealanders who had endured so much hardship and loss since 1914."

Far North (Kaitaia) RSA president Angel Erstich is hoping her community will turn up the volume after two minutes' silence at the cenotaph in Remembrance Park at 11am.

"Ring church bells, toot car horns, rev motorbikes - make as much noise as possible for two minutes to replicate what actually happened when the war ended," she said.

Meanwhile, Creative Northland continues its large scale outdoor projections in association with the Whangārei RSA, which have previously marked Anzac and Passchendaele anniversaries.

This year its 11.11 Armistice is a silent large scale two-night outdoor visual projection performance commemorating Armistice Day and projected on to the side of the Library Building in Rust Ave, Whangārei CBD. The best viewing site will be outside the Creative Northland building and old bowling green in front of the RSA next door to the library. It will be screened tonight and tomorrow from 8pm to 10.30pm.

Maggie Buxton and Kim Newall (AwhiWorld) have created original animated content as well as using existing archival images and those provided by Channel North. Channel North created the audio-visual content for local Museum KiwiNorth's The Great War - Northland remembers exhibition that opened in 2015.

* Armistice Day feature in 48 Hours in tomorrow's Advocate.