Latest news with #BigSing
Otago Daily Times
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
New to speaking English but singing no issue
Two years ago, Jared Gerida, 15, could barely speak a word of English. Yesterday, the South Otago High School student led his choir at a regional singing competition. The year 11 student owned the stage at the Otago and South Canterbury Big Sing regional competition at the Dunedin Town Hall. He said he migrated to New Zealand from the Philippines two years ago and did not know how to speak English. "I [had] never really grown up with English. "I only picked up on English through listening to people talk." South Otago High School year 11 student Jared Gerida, 15, sings in front of his school choir Korimako (from left) Jayden Gelacio, 15, Rashaun Melvin, 16, Julia Silverado Racho, 18, Erin Turner, 14, Ella McCarthy, 17, Erynne Parlane, 13, and Jessamine Daumann, 15, after their performance at the South Canterbury and Otago Big Sing regional competition yesterday. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH He said it was challenging for him to learn the language, but he was getting used to it. It was an amazing experience for him to be on stage and singing. He was nervous before singing in front of hundreds of people but said a prayer and hoped for the best. "I just said 'God, just take care of me and give me the voice of an angel', and I think he did." Jared has an extraordinarily deep voice that stands out among his peers. He said he had found it by trying to do impersonations of older people as a child and by taking part in his school's kapa haka group. His choir, Korimako, had been rehearsing once a week for the past two months and was one of the smallest to perform yesterday with just eight singers. Music director Deborah Ward, who is an English teacher, said the school did not have a music department, but she sang in a choir herself and wanted to share the experience with her students. "I loved singing in choirs when I was at school. "Those were some of my favourite days performing like that in a group." She said Korimako had a "strong underdog energy" and her advice to the students was to not be intimidated by any of their competitors. Big Sing regional co-ordinator Rosemary Tarbotton said 14 schools and 16 choirs from as far north as Timaru took part in the competition. Recordings of the performances will be sent to Wellington, where three adjudicators will select the top 24 choirs from across New Zealand to compete in the finale in Dunedin in August.
Otago Daily Times
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Warm choral music well received
The Royal Dunedin Male Choir performs at St Paul's Cathedral yesterday. PHOTO: LINDA ROBERTSON Dunedin weather was certainly chilly yesterday, but St Paul's Cathedral was filled with support for warm, inviting choral music from the Royal Dunedin Male Choir's midwinter concert. The programme was supplemented with items from Otago Girls' and Otago Boys' High School choirs, both preparing for the Big Sing regional event next Monday, and the Otago University Sexytet. John Buchannan conducted, pianist was Linda Folland and David Burchell provided organ accompaniment for some items. The concert opened with a bracket of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, by Vaughan Williams, a pleasant choral arrangement of The Wild Rovers by Mark Sirett and Wide Open Spaces by contemporary Canadian composer Sarah Quartel, which showed some fine tenor timbre. Their other items included an arrangement of Canlon Lan with good harmony and dynamics, a relaxed delivery of Pacem with violin obligato by Dean Hollebon, who also joined for Abide with Me. If Ever I Would Leave You and Abide With Me were both highlights musically, but on the whole vocal diction from all choral items needed more attention. Sexytet contributed three numbers: Bugle Boy of Company B, Guadeamus Igitur and Kai Waiata. The secondary school choirs each sang two contrasting works. The girls' Nautilas Chorale opened with Britten's popular Deo Gracias followed by All That Jazz accompanied by Will Martin (whose strength as a jazz pianist was ideal), but the song required more animated delivery and stronger top soprano lines. Fortress is a 16-member combined choir. Their contribution was Solitude by Chris Artley and a well-balanced arrangement of Time After Time. Both items required more detail to vocal enunciation. The boys' 14-member Mandate choir (accompanied by Sharon McLennan) sang In Flanders Fields and Mambo Italiano, which was highlighted with choreography. Best wishes to these choirs in their forthcoming Big Sing competition.
Boston Globe
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Free fun this week: Pride after-parties, retro double-features, weekly workouts
Get Love Letters: The Newsletter A weekly dispatch with all the best relationship content and commentary – plus exclusive content for fans of Love Letters, Dinner With Cupid, weddings, therapy talk, and more. Enter Email Sign Up WORK IT Starting a summer workout regimen can sometimes feel like a tumultuous, tedious journey — but you don't have to do it alone. To help locals stay active this season, Suffolk Downs is hosting free workout classes through September. Every Tuesday evening and Saturday morning, Blue Line Flex's curated list of instructors will host group classes ranging from vinyasa yoga to total body bootcamp to cardio dance groove. Tuesdays, 6 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. Registration required. 10 Suffolk Downs Boulevard, Revere. THE FIRST PUNCH For those who weren't placed in karate, taekwondo, or another martial arts course as a child, the joy of climbing the mastery ranks is unknown, but not unachievable. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, Villari's Martial Arts Center offers a free first class for adults, introducing techniques and the culture of the studio. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, time varies. 54 Union Square, Somerville. YOUNG VOICES As the school year comes to an end, Boston's K-5 population will go head-to-head with its biggest nemesis: boredom. Luckily, the city is full of free cultural programming to keep growing minds engaged and occupied. This week, the Boston Children's Chorus, a community choir frequented by over 700 students, will showcase its talent with a final 'Big Sing' performance at the Strand Theatre. Tickets are free, but the performance is priceless. June 10, doors at 11:45 a.m. 543 Columbia Road. DOWN TO FLAVORTOWN June 14, 2-6 p.m. Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Somerville. ; June 14, 2 p.m.-11 p.m. High Street Place Food Hall, 100 High St. Advertisement A WILD TIME In case you needed a reminder, this Sunday is Father's Day, the annual celebration of the paternal figures who help guide us through life. Zoo England is offering free admission to the Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo in Stoneham for all father figures (plus their families) who want to walk on the wild side. June 15, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Road. Stone Zoo, 149 Pond St., Stoneham. Deals & steals ALL ABOARD While your summer wanderlust and wallet may be in disagreement, idyllic day trip getaways just got a little more within reach. Through the end of the month, Amtrak is offering a 20 percent discount on all Downeaster fares — from Boston to Brunswick, Maine, and back again. Through June 30. Prices vary. Send info on free events and special offers at least 10 days in advance to . Marianna Orozco can be reached at
Otago Daily Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Dunedin-Auckland flights boost welcomed
A boost in seats to flights between Auckland and Dunedin will help stimulate spending across the city in time for key events, an industry leader says. Air New Zealand announced yesterday its Auckland-Dunedin route was among three southern connections that would receive a boost in capacity later this year. Between June 28 and October 25, select services across the three routes would operate using the larger Airbus A321, adding more seats to the network at a time of strong seasonal demand, it said. A total of 46 existing flights on the Auckland-Dunedin route would be upgauged from the Airbus A320 to the A321, adding a total of 2100 new seats. This would support key student movement dates and special events, including the All Blacks' game in Dunedin in July and the Big Sing finale in August. The Auckland-Christchurch and Auckland-Queenstown routes comparatively would receive a combined total of 570 upgauged flights — or approximately 34,000 new seats. Chief commercial officer Jeremy O'Brien said the airline was thrilled to be able to connect more customers over the winter season. "Whether they're heading back to university, to a special event, or to the slopes this winter, these seats will mean more choice and opportunity to fly and more flexibility to plan travel around the moments that matter," Mr O'Brien said. "This isn't just about adding flights, it's about supporting our regions." Business South chief executive Mike Collins said the changes were "definitely positive". "We've been advocating to Air New Zealand on behalf of business for additional capacity, so any additional seating that is going to provide some more volume to the business community is something we've seen as favourable." Aligning the boost in capacity with key events would be advantageous to businesses in the city as it would stimulate spending on accommodation and hospitality. He was surprised Air New Zealand had made a change in the short term, but he believed it was a sign the airline was listening to and monitoring the demand for services in the region, Mr Collins said. "There's a lot of investment going on in Dunedin at the moment and a lot of activity. "So if that's flowing through to contractors coming into town and on flights and a lot more passenger travel between Dunedin and Auckland, that wouldn't surprise me, because there is quite a lot of activity going on in the city ... from an investment perspective."
Otago Daily Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Dunedin to get winter flights boost
On the Auckland-Dunedin route 46 flights will be upgraded from Airbus A320 planes (pictured) to the bigger A321 planes. Air New Zealand is using bigger planes to boost seat numbers between Dunedin and Auckland - for a limited time. The airline is also adding thousands of seats to its Auckland to Queenstown route, including one new flight. The four-month capacity increase will be in place between June 28 and October 25 to cater to "strong seasonal demand", Air New Zealand said in a statement. On the Auckland-Dunedin route 46 flights will be upgraded from Airbus A320 planes to the bigger A321 planes, adding 2100 seats. This would help "support key student movement dates and special events, including the All Blacks game in Dunedin on July 5 and Big Sing in August", Air NZ chief commercial officer Jeremy O'Brien said. Between Auckland and Queenstown, 412 flights will get the larger planes and one new flight will be introduced to add 19,400 extra seats. The Auckland-Christchurch route would also be boosted, getting 36 new flights and 14,600 more seats. 'Whether it's getting visitors to Central Otago's ski fields, students to Dunedin's lecture theatres, or whānau home to Christchurch, we're proud to play our part in connecting people and place.' - APL
