More than 4000 Canterbury school children got the chance to perform live as part of a choir this week, accompanied by a youth concert band and orchestra.
The Christchurch Schools' Music Festival has been an annual fixture in the cultural life of the region's young musicians for 84 years, giving young musical talent a bigger stage.
Festival business manager Miranda Donnell says more than 4000 primary and intermediate students from 97 schools across Canterbury, got the chance to showcase their musical and performing talents at the Christchurch Town Hall auditorium.
"They're quite blown away the first time that they hear a child of their own age playing a musical instrument".
Donnell says the festival's the largest annual event in the South Island dedicated to developing young musical talent.
"Just to give children a chance to be able to perform and to be able to learn choral singing to the highest level and then actually be in a professional performance arena where they can have a real audience and actually get a chance to feel like a star".
Parents and friends have been enjoying the young performances across four nightly shows this week, with the popular festival wrapping up on Friday.
-By Geoff Sloan
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
