Four choirs from South Auckland compete at World Choir Games

Four choirs from South Auckland have received funding from Foundation North to participate in the 2024 World Choir Games, which will take place in Aotearoa New Zealand this July. This iconic event, the largest choral competition and festival on the planet, will offer these choirs a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform on a global stage.

The organisers of the World Choir Games were awarded a grant to support choirs from South Auckland, covering their registration fees and transport costs. This support has opened up an opportunity for these singers to showcase their skills in front of a wider audience, and carries with it the potential for life-changing experiences.

The choirs who have received support are Fatherz and Sonz from Mangere East, Otara PIC Youth Choir, EFKS Magele I Sisifo and Auckland Pasifika Voices. Participation in the World Choir Games 2024 will allow these choirs to engage with others from around the world, learning from a whole range of cultural and musical traditions. The experience will create lasting connections and continue to inspire their musical endeavours.

Fatherz and Sonz, a community choir established in 2007 by the late Reverend Ron Lau’ese, brings together people from various churches and cultures across Auckland. Known for their powerful renditions of old church songs and hymns, they have performed at church and community events and conducted workshops overseas. Since Reverend Lau’ese's passing in 2023, the choir has continued to honour his memory by uplifting God through their music and fostering community bonds.

“Participating in the World Choir Games has united past and present members of Fatherz and Sonz, spanning 17 years, to honour our late leader and music director, Rev. Ron Lau’ese,” says Bing Roebeck. Though many of us have never met, joining at different times, today we celebrate Rev. Ron's impact on our lives through music and worship, and his lasting influence."

Auckland Pasifika Voices is an all-comers’ choir made up of community members from diverse backgrounds who love singing and connecting to their cultures. This year’s World Choir Games marks their first public performance.

“The World Choir Games will be the choir’s first outing, and the first time a lot of its members will be singing in public. Thanks to the generosity of Foundation North, Auckland Pasifika Voices and its members are able to compete at the highest levels of choral competition, and are excited to do so!” says Fiona Bakulich of Auckland Pasifika Voices.

Martin Mariota of EFKS Magele I Sisifo says, “For a lot of these young people who come from low socio-economic backgrounds, our choir is their safe space where they can express themselves in a positive way and grow in their faith as well as in their Pasifika identity language and culture. Participating in the World Choir Games is an opportunity for these young Pasifika people to look beyond their limitations and challenges that they face in their personal lives. We know that this will open up their eyes to opportunities beyond South Auckland.”

Foundation North is excited to enable choirs from South Auckland to participate in the World Choir Games, to showcase their talent, share in the opportunity for cultural exchange and enrich the choral landscape of New Zealand.

The World Choir Games was established in 2000 by the German arts tourism company INTERKULTUR and has grown to become the largest choral festival and competition in the world. Held every two years, it typically attracts around choirs from across the globe and is known for fostering an atmosphere of creativity, unity, and joy among a host of diverse nations.

In partnership with New Zealand Choral Federation, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the 13th World Choir Games will take place in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland from 10 to 20 July 2024.

Tickets are available at www.wcg2024.co.nz.

Shared with kind permission of the World Choir Games 2024.