In this issue: Where to hear The Big Sing / Register now for Choral Connect / Celebrating our newest Life Members / Workshops for leaders of children's singing / Travel tips from Tour Time / Partnering with the Institute of Registered Music Teachers / New study on benefits of group singing / An online choral library
Dear <<First Name>>
We’re thrilled to welcome secondary school choirs back to the stage this month for the 2021 regional festivals. NZCF East Coast choirs were first off the blocks on Wednesday this week, and the remaining nine festivals will roll out around the country throughout June. We’re delighted that Trinity College London (NZ) has extended its support of The Big Sing to include regionals this year, and we are especially grateful to our long-time national sponsors Tour Time for their ongoing support. In this month’s eBreve, the team at Tour Time share some helpful advice for choirs on how to plan safely for future touring in a post-COVID world.
Feedback from annual Ministry of Youth Development surveys shows the positive impact of The Big Sing on the overall wellbeing of the singers taking part, and those benefits are echoed in a recent University of Otago study on group singing which featured on Seven Sharp this week. Click on the story in this month's eBreve to watch the TVNZ interview with researcher Quinn Campbell.
Also in this eBreve, we feature a number of opportunities for conductors to hone their skills and expand their repertoire, whether via our 3-day Choral Connect convention, a one-day Singing Matters workshop or simply exploring the Musica International database online.
Plus we celebrate two new Life Members of NZCF - Elizabeth Crayford and Michael Littlewood - and introduce you to our newest Affiliate Members: the Institute of Registered Music Teachers of New Zealand.
Enjoy this Queen's Birthday weekend and we hope to see you at The Big Sing, Choral Connect, or one of our many other activities this year!
Ngā mihi nui
Christine Argyle
Chief Executive New Zealand Choral Federation Te Kotahitanga Manu Reo o Aotearoa
News
Regional session & concert times The Big Sing season is underway and the excitement is mounting for our secondary school choirs. Click on the title or image above to find out times and venues for daytime adjudicated sessions and evening gala concerts near you.
Counting down to Choral Connect It's only six weeks until our biennial choral conductors' convention - have you registered yet? Click through for the full timetable plus details on one-to-one coaching opportunities, choral composition workshops and much more.
Two new NZCF Life Members Elizabeth Crayford and Michael Littlewood were accorded Life Membership of NZCF at our recent AGM, in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the Federation on a national level.
Opportunities for primary leaders We've re-branded our Primary Gestures workshops as Singing Matters and are pleased to introduce our line-up of mentors who will take workshops for leaders of children's singing.
Safe planning for future touring With the trans-Tasman bubble opening up and vaccinations rolling out around the world, our Big Sing sponsors offer advice on what to consider when the time comes to plan your next choir tour.
Meet our newest affiliate members NZCF enjoys a reciprocal affiliate membership agreement with the Institute of Registered Music Teachers, an established professional organisation supporting private music teachers.
New study on group singing A recent Otago University study led by Quinn Campbell highlights the benefits of singing for both physical and psychological wellbeing.
A global tool for choral repertoire This multi-media, collaborative database is one of the richest sources of choral music in the world... and ACD members can access it all for free!
