Sunday, August 26

Choral Festival, Saturday September 8

Over 250 singers of all ages will be raising their voices in the resonant space of the YMCA stadium on Saturday night in the fourth Gisborne Choral Festival. Director Gavin Maclean says it will be a fast-running programme of ninety minutes, starting at 7 pm, and feature a total of twelve ensembles with a vast range of choral styles.

Primary schools will be represented by Te Hapara, Wainui Beach and Mangapapa, and secondary by Campion College, the Corinthians from Boys’ High, and the cast of Lyttons Les Miserables, just days before their full production opens next week.

Church groups performing are The Wesley Tongan choir, and the Trinity Choristers from Holy Trinity. The Gisborne Choral Society, organisers of the event, will sing both on their own and with the addition of others from the community, making a Festival Choir of over seventy that’s numbers, not age.

The categories of the varied programme are Openers, Songs of Praise, Around the World, Opera and Stage Musical. While the emphasis is on the voice rather than the accompaniment, a special feature is the dramatic trumpet duet in the Grand March from Verdis Aida. Other great choruses sung by the massed choir include the Chorus of Hebrew Slaves, and the Hallelujah Chorus.

Comedy items will include the Anvil Chorus, Duelling Divas Dorothy Fletcher and Catherine Macdonald, and The Three Knock Your Socks Off Tenors, Mike Costello, Gavin Maclean and Lee Pascoe. Catherine Macdonald will also sing in sober mode, with the Choral Society, in the exquisite Casta Diva from the opera Norma.

Oh, and bring a cushion..

From 7:00pm at the YMCA Stadium
Cost: $5 Adult, $2 Child

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