What have you heard your friends whinge about TBS and thought “why are you telling me this? Tell someone who cares!“

Who cares?  The New Zealand Choral Federation, that’s who.  Take any aspect of the Big Sing and let us know what you think– what’s good, what needs changing, and your suggestions if you got ‘em. We’re all set for 2012 but your suggestions will be considered for 2013 and beyond.

Leave a comment here or email: ecrayford@clear.net.nz by Saturday 12 November, 2011.

Tell everyone you know– we want to hear from them!

There will be a programme from each of the eight sessions, featuring the interviews that have been recorded with a member of each choir. The Gala Concert will be broadcast as the last Young New Zealand for 2011 on December the 18th at 8pm.

Details on how to tune in are on the Radio New Zealand website: radionz.co.nz.

Choreography was provided by Mike Mizrahi, the Creative Director of the RWC opening.

The Sweet Sixteen was involved in pre-videoing on the top of the HSBC carpark at 1 Queen Street on the Saturday prior, then the performance in red robes on the Friday night the 9th at 8pm. The entire piece composed by McGlashan was more than 11 minutes long and was performed by various artists including the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra and several soloists performing at the Cloud. This was broadcast live to an estimated world-wide audience of 50-100 million.

Are you one of them?! Let us know what it’s like!

Watch the Close Up special here . . . >

After almost 5 months of filming, endless rehearsals, school yard dramas, intense performances, nerves and loads of singing…the Road to the Big Sing Finale half hour special is screening tonight!

The Sweet Sixteen and Front Row choirs from Aorere College travel to Wellington for the Big Sing National Finale, but do they have what it takes to win gold?

I hope this episode is as much fun to watch as it was to make!

Thank you all for supporting this series! Please spread the word!

Here’s the previous episode. You’ll find links to all the episodes in the comments section.

Episode 6: The Moment of Truth

Go to the vids . . . >

The brilliant techie team have edited the sessions up into each choir’s performance, so it’s as simple as clicking on the choir you want to watch and . . . well, then watching.

If you are having issues let us know. Here are a few things to try first:

• refresh the web page (Crtl-R or Crtl-F5 depending on your browser)
• If you do download it, watch the file in VLC (videolan.org). Avoid Quicktime like the plague, unless you have an Apple, but even then prefer VLC. On windows 7 it will play in the default player.

We got just under 15,000 views. 94% (around 14,000) of our audience was in New Zealand, but we were viewed in at least 26 other countries as well. Around 200 watched in the UK and Aus, and just over 100 in the USA.

The gala concert was by far the most viewed, with the evening sessions being more popular than the day sessions.– Murray Cameron

Kudos to the awesome tech team who made the streaming so seemless and reliable! Clearly, thousands of us got to enjoy the festival even though we couldn’t make it to Wellington.

The edited coverage will be up on R2 (same site as the web streaming) on Monday for everyone to enjoy all over again.

TV One News features The Big Sing Finale in Wellington Town Hall.

Hear this year’s Platinum Award-winning choir, Choralation, of Westlake Girls’ and Boys’ High Schools.

Plus hear clips and quotes from several other choirs.

Check it out! . . . >

The awards were announced at the end of the Gala Concert, after all choirs had presented wonderful performances of one piece each.

The New Zealand Choral Federation is pleased to announce the full list of awards from this year’s Big Sing Finale. Congratulations to all choirs involved for their superb performances.

The Big Sing Finale Awards 2011:

PLATINUM
Choralation–Westlake Girls’ & Boys’ High Schools

GOLD
Bel Canto–Burnside High School
Choralation–Westlake Girls’ & Boys’ High Schools
Craighead Chorale– Craighead Diocesan School

SILVER
Bella Voce– Marlborough Girls’ College
Bellissimo– Whangaparaoa College
Euphony–Kristin School
King’s Voices– King’s College
Macleans College Choir–Macleans College
Resolutions– Rangi Ruru Girls’ School
SOS– Rangitoto College
Teal Voices– Wellington Girls’ College
Voicemale– Westlake Boys’ High School

BRONZE
Barock– Otago Boys’ & Girls’ High School
Front Row–Aorere College
Otago Boys’ High School Choir 2011– Otago Boys’ High School
St Cecilia Singers– Diocesan School for Girls
Southern Hesperides– Otago Girls’ High School
The Sweet Sixteen– Aorere College

AUAHI KORE AWARD
The Sweet Sixteen– Aorere College

HUTT VALLEY TROPHY
Bel Canto–Burnside High School– for their performance of “The Lamb”

YOUTH AMBASSADORS AWARD
Bellissimo– Whangaparaoa College

GUEST CHOIR AWARD
Bella– Freyberg High School
Crescendos–Middleton Grange School
Stella Collegians– Nelson College for Girls/Nelson College
Petra Voce–St Peter’s School, Cambridge

Order the Finale Gala Concert 2011 DVD