Community choir project ‘Rejoice!’ involves three rehearsals led by leading choral directors Dr Karen Grylls and Elise Bradley ahead of a concert on Easter Monday, April 21.
The stand-out music includes The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah, O Fortuna from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
The latter was also performed last December by Queenstown’s 100 Voices mass choir organised by singing teacher and chanteuse Margaret O’Hanlon.
Her daughter Violet Hirst, who’s helping market the festival, says the choir project is "a great learning opportunity" considering Grylls is "basically a legend — she’s been conducting and doing choral work for over 30 years".
Amongst other things Grylls is artistic director of the Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Trust which manages the internationally-acclaimed NZ Youth Choir and Voices NZ Chamber Choir.
Bradley’s also highly regarded and was artistic director of the Toronto Youth Choir for just over 14 years.
Hirst says invites have been sent out to local choirs and singing students, but anyone’s welcome.
"It’s important this event kind of reaches out to the community and isn’t as closed off as the classical world can be sometimes."
The singers will also be accompanied by musicians here for the festival, which is an offshoot of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition.
Choir participants can register for $25 via shorturl.at/AcxtU
All receive 50% off all other festival tickets.
Rehearsals are on April 15, from 7pm at Te Atamira, April 17, from 7pm at Queenstown Memorial Centre, and on April 21 at the same venue, from 11.30am, ahead of the concert starting 2pm.
The festival’s artists will also be taking free workshops in piano, violin and voice over the four-day event.
