Thousands of voices will fill Forsyth Barr Stadium for a huge community chorus as part of the Wild Dunedin Festival of Nature.
Choir leader Arlie McCormick will guide the crowd through a rendition of the classic New Zealand song Nature by The Fourmyula, memorably covered by The Mutton Birds in 1992.
Following the giant collective singalong, songwriter Don McGlashan will take the stage for a solo performance.
The stadium event was born from the success of the pub singalong Bangers and Brews, which McCormick co-hosts with fellow entertainer Harriet Moir.
Wild Dunedin organisers got in touch suggesting the Pitch Choir, in a similar vein to the successful mass yoga gathering at last year’s festival.
Singing in a big crowd provided an endorphin rush, McCormick said.
"It is very much a community thing, but you are not going to stand out if you are not a strong singer.
"There will be people around you that can sing and that is the great thing, they sort of help you along."
McCormick will warm up the stadium audience with a few songs that many people will know, from bands such as Dragon, Crowded House or Th’ Dudes.
"I am realising that the repertoire is really important, that they are super well known."
The Pitch Choir is aimed to be highly accessible and designed for everyone, regardless of vocal ability or experience.
"Bring your dad, bring your mum, bring your boyfriend, bring your kids."
McCormick encouraged people of all ages to attend the $10 gathering, which she believed offered a rare chance to find calm in a busy world.
"The world is on fire isn’t it, you know, at the moment and what better way to just sort of come together and just enjoy the quiet, the calm and community.
"Just sharing that experience and getting a concert at the end of it too."
The Pitch Choir will take place at 7pm on Saturday, April 11, at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Visit wilddunedin.nz for tickets.
