Draft:Dunedin Children's Choir

Dunedin Children's Choir
Choir
Also known asDCC; Dunedin Children's Choir: Chamber Group
OriginDunedin, New Zealand
Founded1 January 2023 (2023-01-01)
MembersYouth 7-12 years
Music directorNatasha Manowitz
OrganistSusan Frame
Rehearsal spaceFlagstaff Community Church

The Dunedin Children's Choir is a non-auditioned performance-focused children's choir for 7- 12-year-olds that is based in Dunedin, Otago, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Established at the start of 2023, by mid-2023 the choir had built to 30+ singers and developed an additional Chamber Choir for 10-12-year-olds.

The choir uses techniques inspired by Kodály methods to help all children sing in key and in time, which is why they can be non-auditioned, actively encouraging all children to come and sing.

Repertoire

As well as the usual range of warm up and seasonal songs, the choir learns a range of songs, in multiple genres. Some of the songs performed and added to their repertoire include:

A key aspect of song choice, other than suitability for young voices, is a balance between songs that are fun for children to sing, and technically challenging songs that push their abilities. The choir director, Natasha Manowitz, also tries to include local composers and introduces the choir to non-English songs.

The Dunedin Children's Choir is a Registered Charity in New Zealand. DUNEDIN CHILDREN'S CHOIR (50206593) (NZBN: 9429052030017) [Charitable Trust] Registered[1]

Performances

The first major public performance for the Dunedin Children's Choir was at the Dunedin Midwinter Carnival in June 2023.

Since then they have performed as a whole choir and just the Chamber Choir with international soprano Olivia Pike, with the St. Andrew's College senior choirs, at the NZ Choral Foundations Otago Sing Fest[2], the Dunedin Airport Christmas concert and was the only choir from the South Island competiting at the World Choir Games[3] to be held in Auckland, July 2024.

After their first international competition, the Chamber Choir part of the Dunedin Children's Choir was ranked 800th globall[4]y

References

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