Some polished acts were seen and heard in the Dunedin Town Hall last night as school choirs from around Otago and South Canterbury gathered for the Big Sing gala performance, .
Eighteen choirs from schools in Dunedin, Alexandra, Oamaru and Timaru performed three songs before adjudicator Peter Watts, of Auckland, yesterday afternoon and then practised a massed item before performing in front of parents and friends last night.
Each choir was vying to be one of 20 picked from throughout the country to take part in the national Big Sing. final.
Festival co-ordinator Carole Randall said the finalists would be announced on June 18 before the national final was held in Dunedin in August.
She noted the number of mixed choirs was increasing and said it was "great" to see boys' schools getting involved with singing.
In the gala performance, each choir sang one song before all 400 pupils joined to sing the massed item I'm Gonna Sing, conducted by Mr Watts.
Regional awards: Best performance of a New Zealand composition, Craighead Chorale and Sings Hilda from St Hildas Collegiate joint winners; best performance in other styles, Queens High School Vocarmony; most promising choir, Waitaki Boys High School; grant to attend New Zealand Conducting School, Waitaki Boys High School conductor Stephen Hinds.
