Combined school music series rocks Memorial Hall

August 28th, 2012
[by David Armstrong]

This week sees the revamped Memorial Hall pushed to its limits, as over 500 pupils from 12 schools in the area celebrate the joy, pulse and beauty of music music in front of sold-out audiences.

The "Rock Da House" event, which our schools normally take part in by travelling to Nelson, was this year organised locally in a display of superb collaborative skills by music teachers and enthusiastic pupils.

Tonight it will be the turn of Mapua, Mahana, Upper Moutere and Dovedale schools - a total of 180 pupils - who spent several hours together yesterday rehearsing the songs and the stage management at the hall. They belted out a programme of joyous, colourful songs which tonight will be performed to a full house of 400 mainly parents.

For Memorial Hall's stage director, the tireless Mark Wentworth, this provided some new challenges following the renovation this year of the stage, lighting and sound systems. The stage supports were not strong enough to hold the 1 tonne of stage platform and nearly 4 tonne of accumulated bodies. Extra stage support scaffolding had to be installed at the cost of $1200.

Thanks to the skills of the sound and lighting crew, Hugh Production, the concert will be a festival of colour, rhythm and strong singing, sometimes in two harmony parts. Supported by the talented Rock Da House band - a group comprising the music teacher at Garin College and three recent past students - they will belt out classics including 'We will rock you' and 'California dreaming' as well as some quieter, more sensitive numbers.

Today and tomorrow the same rehearsals will be repeated but with two other school combinations, totalling 180 and 200 pupils respectively. They will then perform on Wednesday and Thursday nights, again to sold-out houses.

Praise must go to the event organiser, Riwaka School principal Christine Sutton, for taking on the challenge of taking this "franchise" celebration to Motueka, and it is hoped this can be repeated in years to come.

>> , to be added to the page. [If this link doesn't work, use this form instead]

[ Return ]
[ Other news articles ]

We wish to thank these local community-minded businesses who generously sponsor our site. They recognise the value of supporting this community asset, and in return Motueka Online is pleased to use and recommend their services whenever appropriate.

Ray White Motueka, Motueka Floral Studio, Nelson Building Society, House of Travel,
Greenwood Active Health Great Shape Today