Pupils gearing up for music festival

Otago Boys’ High School pianist Sean Woo (16) accompanies fellow choir members (from left) Oban...
Otago Boys’ High School pianist Sean Woo (16) accompanies fellow choir members (from left) Oban Hansen (17), Alexander Grant (16), Ryan Lau (16), Ronan Geraghty (15), Louis Sabonadiere (14), Jack Fisher (16), Friderick Duran (15), Benjamin Barrow (13) and Billy Li (15) during a rehearsal for the Otago Secondary Schools Music Festival. Photo: Gregor Richardson.
Strains from The Lion King are bouncing around Otago practice rooms this week as singers and musicians prepare for the region’s 48th Secondary Schools Music Festival.

Dunedin composer Sam van Betuw has arranged a medley of songs from the movie-stage show, for massed choir and orchestra to perform at the Dunedin Town Hall this  Monday night.

Organising committee member and Logan Park High School head of music John Dodd said the festival was an annual celebration of communal music-making and achievement for secondary school pupils from across the region.

About 700 pupils from about 20 schools would provide entertainment in the form of a massed choir, orchestra, concert band, string orchestra and jazz band.

"A feature of the concerts is that we showcase a variety of individual groups who have achieved success during the year," Mr Dodd said.

Highlights would include a welcoming waiata from the King’s and Queen’s High Schools’ cultural group, a performance by Carmina — the winning band at the 2017 Otago Smokefreerockquest — and the Aurora Verde trio, which won the 2017 Otago Chamber Music Contest, he said.

"The event represents the culmination of months of work by secondary school music teachers and the instrumental teachers who support their learning.

"During the 48 years of the festival’s running, thousands of young musicians have used the opportunity to gain early experience in performing to a high standard, in a sharing environment, in our wonderful town hall."

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