School choir on song

All Saints’ Anglican Parish was just one stop for the youngsters from the Choir of St Michael’s Grammar on its first South Island tour.

The 19 vocalists from Melbourne, Australia displayed their vocal talent, directed by Dr Gary Ekkel, at Sunday Mass in Dunedin.

The tour, titled Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, will take the pupils to venues in Christchurch, Lake Tekapo, Oamaru, Arrowtown and Dunedin. It is the choir’s first visit to New Zealand.

Yesterday’s service began with an angelic rendition of A Gaelic Blessing — by English composer John Rutter — and continued with a range of carols and hymns dating from 500 years ago to the present day.

The visiting choir was welcomed by the Rev Canon Michael Wallace and was accompanied during the service by organist David Burchell.

On its most recent tour of Europe in 2018, the choir won the first prize in the mixed voices section of the Summa Cum Laude International Festival.