Photos from Convention 2007, Christchurch

Convention 2007 - we won the Small Chorus award again!

What a wonderful weekend! Christchurch Town Hall was the focus for the New Zealand Sweet Adeline Convention 2007.

Quartets and Choruses from all over New Zealand competed under the strict eyes and ears of four international judges We are delighted to report that Whangarei Harmony Chorus under the expert directorship of Christien Oberholster won the Small Chorus Award. Again! We arrived in Christchurch on May 17 all set to defend our title as current holders of the Small Chorus Award for New Zealand Sweet Adelines. We shared accommodation at the Poplars Hotel which provided very comfortable self-contained apartments.

Friday saw the Quartet competitions. On Friday evening it was off to the Town Hall for a riser rehearsal with our Director Christien Oberholster and a few words of advice and encouragement from David Brooks, Master Director, Wellington City Chorus.

Costumes were checked and makeup primped. We reported to the Presidential Suite in full costume ready for our last rehearsal with Christien before departing the Hotel for the Competition Performance. Focus, focus, focus. We sang for the 4 International Judges and we did it again. YES!! We won the Small Chorus award with a score of 519 points. The members erupted into joyful abandonment. We were thrilled to achieve third place in New Zealand. We expressed our appreciation at the Saturday evening function - the Harmony Heatwave Red Hot party at the Christchurch Town Hall. Dance! Sing! Be Happy! What a great weekend.

Convention 2006 - We won the Small Chorus award!
The annual New Zealand Sweet Adelines convention was held in Christchurch in 2006. The annual convention is a great opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new ones. We enjoyed seeing the sights of Christchurch and the afterglow party. Some of us would not go home!

Whangarei Harmony Chorus competed against all other Sweet Adeline small choruses in New Zealand. Encouraged by our Director Christien Oberholster and our international coach, Lynnell Diamond, Whangarei Harmony Chorus sang their little hearts out and were delighted to win the Small Chorus Award for 2006 (again). Here we are giving it our all!

History

Whangarei Harmony Chorus had small beginnings in 1992, when 33 women attended an open night hosted by the Bay of Islands chorus.

W.H.C. first performed in public in Feb. 1994. We were Chartered by 1995, and in the same year won the choral section of the Northland Performing Arts Society Competitions, repeating that success many times since.

The chorus has travelled internationally, singing with Australian choruses, and in the New Zealand contingent to the Annual International Convention in the U.S.A.

Whangarei had the largest contingent of members travelling to Perth W.A., to sing in the a'cappella song festival, performing with groups from all over the world. We sang Poi E and performed the poi under the expert training of Te Aurere Beazley and received a standing ovation!

Our successes in our New Zealand Competitions have been many over the last 10 years, and we have been holders of the Best Small Chorus Trophy and the Most Improved Chorus Trophy, competing against the other 17 choruses in the entire New Zealand region.

We present Charitable singouts, at all the Whangarei homes for the Elderly, Salvation Army, Hospice and other community organisations. We recently sang at the Mayor's Concert.