Some 1600 to 2000 primary and intermediate school children in
choirs from around New Zealand take part annually in the regional
Kids Sing festivals. On 22nd August, our Chapel Choir, conducted
by Mrs Scouller, joined all the other schools at the Town Hall for our
regional Kids Sing competition. The standard of the choirs was very
high this year and we were delighted to win a silver medal and best performance by
an all boys’ choir!
Our music teacher, Mr Michael Bell wrote a piece especially for the Choir that we
performed as part of our set (a world première!). The piece is entitled, “City From the
Hills” taken from a poem written by Arnold Wall in 1900 that speaks of the beauty of
Christchurch and its region. The theme for the piece was inspired by the city’s recent
hardships. The anthem also incorporates the New Zealand melody of “Pokarekare Ana”.
“There lies our city folded in the mist, like a great meadow in the early morn flinging
her spears of grass up through the white films.”
Kids Sing
King’s Lit quiz team makes final
The King’s School evening Lit Quiz team
succeeded in gaining a place at the
New Zealand finals in Wellington on 12
June, after their victory in the Auckland
heat hosted by St Cuthbert’s. The team,
consisting of Nathan MacCormick,
Ben Fraser, James Mead and Thomas
McPadden competed against 45 other
teams and won with a score of 83.
This was the very first time King’s had made
the finals and there was much excitement
as the boys boarded the plane with Mrs
Baynes. Arriving in Wellington the boys
quickly discovered that the competition
was very tough and did well scoring a total
of 14 points. In the end, Takapuna Normal
Intermediate emerged as the winners and
travelled to South Africa for the World
Finals. There they represented New Zealand
well by gaining a 2nd place behind the
home-based overall winners, Roedean
School.
David Barclay
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