The last day of term one is always reserved for Small House Choir. The long-standing event is a great opportunity for everyone to show house pride and enjoy some good music. Every house forms a band, with roughly eight singers and four instrumentalists. They are given one month to pick, prepare, practice and perfect a song based on a theme.
This year, the theme was ‘Kiwi Classics’ and houses were encouraged to find songs by Kiwi artists that captured the essence of being a New Zealander. Despite the short time frame they were given, each and every house was able to deliver an amazing performance on the day.
The order and songs performed on the day were as follows:
Snell House – Running by Evermore
Kupe House – Poi E x Tuloa Tagaloa x Tua/Bigger x Give by a variety of artists
Rutherford House – Something in the Water by Brooke Fraser
Upham House – Catching Feelings by Six60
Batten House – Don’t Dream it’s Over by Crowded House
Mansfield House – 35 by Ka Hao and Rob Ruha
Hillary House – Tukituki te Manawa x Wairua by Drax Project and Maimoa
Te Kanawa House – Oil & Water x Toku Tuakiri by Teeks and Nikau Grace
The performances were all less than five minutes long, but it took a culmination of tens of hours of hard work behind the scenes. From the auditioning process to the early morning and weekend rehearsals, the amount of commitment required is truly commendable. So here’s to all the singers, instrumentalists, cultural captains, house exec, teachers and even parents – this wouldn’t have happened without your dedication and support!
At the end of the day, however, it was a competition, and we had an amazing trio of teachers who were more than qualified to be our judges. Miss Burnett (HoD Dance and Drama), Mrs McNabb (HoD Music) and Mr Harrison (Vocal Specialist and Coach).
Deciding on a winner couldn’t have been easy, but ultimately, our judges came to a unanimous decision and the top three were announced…
- First place: Rutherford House
- Second place: Kupe House
- Third place: Mansfield House
“Despite the intense competition between houses, it [Small House Choir] is a moment when students come together over a shared love of music and foster a sense of unity within the school community.”
Raghav Pattni, Rutherford House
Congrats to everyone – the performances were outstanding and it was a great way to end the term! The YouTube video of the entire afternoon can be viewed below.
Special thanks to Dr Miles and the tech crew who kept the event running smoothly.
Hopefully you all had an awesome holiday, and welcome back to term two…
29th April, 2024
Written by Hope Zhang, edited by Ally Chu and Aaron Huang
Photography by Emma Li
