Big Music Day 2020 cancelled
It has become an institution on the Taupō musical calendar but the 2020 version has fallen foul of Covid-19 restrictions.
The Big Music Day, which has been running for the last 20 years, involves close to 200 students from primary to secondary school age forming a giant orchestra and rehearsing four or five pieces before a one-off public performance.
But not this year for the event due on September 10.
“Though we don’t yet know whether we would technically be allowed to run this event, we feel that due to its nature, cancelling is the safest and most responsible decision,” said organiser Jo Paull.
“Since we have around 200 participants during the day, we are unable to physically social distance, and many of the instruments require blowing so we are unwilling to take the risk.”
In the 2019 incarnation 175 students attended from Taupō primary and secondary schools as well as homeschool students and a smattering from Rotorua and Tauranga schools.
With parts arranged for about 16 different instruments, the day, organised by the Taupō School of Music is designed to broaden the student’s musical experiences.
As well as learning to cope with different conducting styles and the skill of ensemble playing, such as learning how to count rests, come in on time and adjust volume, it also results in students looking to explore a wider range of music and instruments, said Paull following last year’s Big Music Day.
The call off follows the cancellation of the September 4 midday concert by Cellophonics as some Auckland members from the eight strong cello group had not been able to make rehearsals in Hamilton.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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62.2% Summer
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36.3% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
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