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
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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37% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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