Regional activities wrap up for the year

2 Dec 2025

November saw our last three NZCF Regional Workshops for the year as well as our final SingFest. All were well supported, evidencing the widespread enthusiasm for choral music and the thirst for more knowledge and experience that exists around the country.

Thank you to all the regional coordinators and their teams of volunteers for making these events so successful.
 

Otago SingFest - Dunedin, 13 November 

Otago SingFest was originally scheduled for 23 October, but the severe storm that hit the area made it impossible for the event to go ahead. Congratulations to Coordinator Rosemary Tarbotton for her quick action in postponing SingFest to 13 November and keeping this event on the calendar.

Singfest was held in the beautiful Knox Church, with 111 singers from five choirs performing to an appreciative audience. The concert ended with a massed item, which you can enjoy here on the Dunedin Star Singers Facebook page.

Participating choirs: Dunedin RSA Choir, Sunny Side Up, Dunedin Harmony Chorus, Royal Dunedin Male Choir and Dunedin Star Singers.

                               

 

East Coast regional workshop - Napier, 15 November 

Thirty-four singers participated in the Hawkes Bay workshop The Art of A Cappella with Tim Wayne-Wright. Tim, a former King’s Singer, has the perfect experience to share the art of ensemble singing - including vowel matching, vocal blend, expressive use of vocal colour, and how to connect more deeply with your audience. Juliet Dreaver attended and called it “a fun and fascinating morning. Even seasoned singers learned a lot in this a cappella workshop with Tim. Thanks, Tim, for your entertaining insights and Suzanne Russell for organising so smoothly”.

Other participants added: " There was a great blend between theory and practical. He explained difficult concepts in very understandable ways" and "It was entertaining, informative and interesting - I absolutely loved it."
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Southland regional workshop - Invercargill, 22 November 

Over sixty singers turned out in Southland for Judy Bellingham's workshop Viagra for Voice. Regional Events Coordinator Sarah Rae said that Judy Bellingham’s presentation had something for everyone, and that it had “a wonderful balance between learning about the benefits of singing, understanding our voices, accepting how things change, and exploring practical, relevant exercises we can use to maintain vocal health and address changes in the voice…. Judy’s ability to demonstrate and give context was excellent. She has such an energised approach and a lovely sense of humour. Her years of experience working with singers—and how she has navigated changes in her own voice—reflected her remarkable knowledge and understanding of the voice.”

Sarah's comments were echoed by many other participants, one of whom wrote: "The workshop was insightful and gave me simple, effective techniques that I can use straight away in my singing." And another wrote: "Today was awesome. Not only has it given me great tips to ensure that I look after my voice, but there were plenty of activities that I will be using at school too."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Otago regional workshop - Dunedin, 22 November

Interest in the hit movie Tinā drew 90 singers to Dunedin’s Knox Church on 22 November for the Sing Music from Tinā workshop with David Squire. Coordinator Rosemary Tarbotton said: “David is absolutely wonderful - he was chatty, encouraging, funny and we all had a great time”.

David’s stories about preparing the music for the film enriched the experience, and several commented on how much they enjoyed being part of a large group with singers from other choirs.

One participant wrote: "David is such a renowned and experienced leader and we were privileged to have him here. He made the session fun, non-threatening (especially for quite a few who are not music readers), interesting and entertaining, and we produced some lovely sounds. There [were] lots of singing friends and acquaintances there which also made it quite a social event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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