Singers make big impact at event

The Year 9 sopranos did really well and being with the choir gives them a chance to develop their voices ahead of auditions for the senior choir next year.Michael Pearson, Year 13 student

The newly-formed Rathkeale College Boys' Choir won the highest award for a non-competition group at the Big Sing regional event in Palmerston North.

The Manawatu event was run last week at the Regent on Broadway, where 15 choirs comprising close to 500 students joined battle, including three choirs from St Matthew's Collegiate.

Year 13 student Michael Pearson, who was in charge of the group, said capturing the Highly Commended Certificate for Excellence in Performance at the Big Sing had been a very welcome surprise.

The Rathkeale College Boys' Choir sang renditions of Walk By Faith and Hey there Delilah after starting rehearsals halfway through Term 1, he said.

The choir was made up of Year 9 to 13 students comprising "a few tenors, lots of basses" and two Year 9 boy sopranos, he said.

"The Year 9 sopranos did really well and being with the choir gives them a chance to develop their voices ahead of auditions for the senior choir next year.

"Hopefully, now someone will step up and look to lead the choir again next year as well."