KEY POINTS:
Excitement fizzed in the air yesterday as members of a top South Auckland secondary school choir waited to meet their new musical partners - pop band Evermore.
Fifteen students from Aorere College's choir "Sweet Sixteen" will provide back-up vocals for Evermore's June 30 concert at the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna. The rock/pop trio of home-schooled brothers from Feilding were greeted with applause as they entered the school's music room to meet their new back-up vocalists.
Sixteen-year-old Felicity Vehikite said it was "cool" to meet the group, but she was a little nervous about singing on stage with them.
"It's really exciting meeting them now that we are singing with them. It will be my first experience in front of a big crowd ... but it won't be so bad because my friends [in the choir] will be there. If it was just me, I'd cry."
As well as being chosen to sing with Evermore, the choir have also made it to the national finals of the Big Sing choral competition in Christchurch in August.
Elijah Taulago, 16, said he felt proud of the choir's achievements and was excited about performing on stage with Evermore.
Elijah and fellow choir member Awhina Waimotu were chosen for the National Secondary Schools Choir - the only South Auckland singers to be selected.
Evermore have won numerous awards and had platinum and double platinum sales here and in Australia. Hit songs include Running and Light Surrounding You.
Lead singer Jon Hume, 23, said yesterday that the band had used choirs in previous concerts, including a Zulu choir in their Melbourne concert, and it had worked well.
"It's something different and people liked it. It works well and fits together better than people would think."
Aorere music department head Doug Nyce said he was proud of the choir's achievements and thrilled Evermore had asked them to perform.
