Final two Kids Sings impress
6 Nov 2025
The last two Kids Sing festivals for 2025 have shown that students gain a great deal of joy from singing with and listening to each other, as they perform for their peers and families.
We asked the adjudicators of the Wellington and Waikato-Bay of Plenty Kids Sing festivals to send us their reflections...
Wellington - 14 October
Adjudicator Nicola Sutherland writes:
In the last edition of eBreve Pete Rainey wrote: "Every child deserves the chance to discover the confidence, empathy and joy that collective singing brings". At the Wellington Kids Sing in October this was most certainly played out, with 18 choirs and something like 800 children singing their hearts out. For me it was a wonderful experience to watch and listen to the performances, and also a rather daunting responsibility to write what was hopefully useful feedback. The choirs, small and large, of all ages, were so well prepared, every performance was engaging, the sound was gorgeous, and it was enormously heartwarming to see so many enthusiastic children who wanted to sing. Thank you so much to all the teachers and parents who value the importance of this in the lives of our children - it takes a lot of hard work and time but it enriches us all and these will be the choristers of the future. Those of us who are reading eBreve understand the power of singing together, and hopefully these children will spread the word and invite their friends to join them, lifting spirits and making memories.
Our thanks to Coordinator Jenny Gould for leading the warm-ups and rounds and for creating another great Kids Sing festival in Wellington.
Hamilton - 23 October
Adjudicator Rachael Griffiths-Hughes writes:
The 2025 Waikato Kids Sing was a festive occasion featuring 9 choirs from Te Awamutu, Matamata, Taupo and around Hamilton. The number of participating schools was reduced by a late date change due a strike day scheduled for the original day, but the children created a warm and supportive atmosphere for each other in the beautiful facilities of Southwell School. We heard from very young singers, like the 5-9 year olds of the Tron Songsters Junior Choir, the large and well-drilled Southwell school choirs, and the choir from Matamata Intermediate which has trebled in size since their first TKS outing last year. Piano, marimba, ukulele, flute, cello and backing tracks were used for accompaniment. I was most impressed with the creative way the teachers use any and all resources they have to create a singing experience for their students. TKS is not just a performance opportunity for the choirs, but also a time when the choir leaders can learn from each other and perhaps make connections for further sharing of resources, knowledge and experience to help our children sing in a fun and healthy way.
Our thanks to Coordinator Julia Mcintyre for managing the last minute changes and creating a wonderful event.
