Barbershop chorus to sing for Hospice - tickets on sale now
A local male barbershop chorus that regularly competes in America is busy honing a repertoire for a pre-Christmas charity performance in Lower Hutt.
Vocal FX President Jared Lee says the December 2 concert for Te Omanga Hospice and the community work of Rotary Hutt Valley will feature songs they performed to recently win a Pan-Pacific title in Sydney against barbershop choruses from Japan, Australia and around the Pacific.
Lee says Vocal FX draws its 18-35 year-old members from all over the Hutt Valley and Wellington. True to barbershop's 1870s (and 1930s revival) roots, it's mainly about getting together with others who love to sing a cappella, where the voice is the only instrument.
They perform songs of those original black southern quartets, with flexing of melody to produce wonderful harmonies in 'swipes' and 'snakes'.
"But we also do a New Zealand take on things, and we make quite a splash when we compete in America. We bring in songs from Samoa and other Pacific Islands, R & B, fun show songs and so on.
"Our diversity and local flavour is something close to our heart," Lee says.
And this is not a choir that stands still. "There can be a lot of dancing and movement," Lee says. "It's all about the total performance, not the voices alone."
Launched in 2003 with less than a dozen members, Vocal FX now has up to 50 regulars and up to 40 have made four trips to the USA in the last decade to compete against the cream of barbershop choruses from around the world. The Hutt concert is the last before Vocal FX begins preparations for competing in Orlando, Florida in 2018.
There's extra reason for sports fans to tune in for the Hutt concert. Two polo shirts signed by Olympic rowers Eric Murray and Hamish Bond will be raffled on the night.
* Vocal FX Charity Concert for Te Omanga Hospice, Saturday 2 December, Hutt City Church, Marsden St, 6.30pm. Tickets $25, ph or text 027 484 8892, email jonewlove8@gmail.comor go to Eventfinda.co.nz
Neighbourhood Challenge: Who Can Crack This One? ⛓️💥❔
What has a head but no brain?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Poll: Is it ok to regift something that you have been given?
🎁 Holiday Gift Chat!
Do you ever regift?
What’s your take on asking for a receipt if a gift doesn’t fit?
-
78.2% Yes! It's better to regift what I don't need
-
21.8% No. It's the thought and effort that matters
Speed limits around NaeNae
Hi Neighbors, Just a heads up, I have just received a $170 fine for driving at 50km on Rata Street Naenae on a SUNDAY Morning. I wrote to NZTA pointing out and sending in a photo of sign stating that it was 30km on school days between those hours, but they said that the whole of Rata Street and some surrounding streets are 30km 24/7 and have been for over a year. Did I miss this been advised by council? Always good to be informed. Merry Christmas to all
Loading…
