New Zealand Youth Choir bring global reputation to Whangarei
Local singer Rhiannon Cooper to dazzle home crowd
Soprano Rhiannon Cooper is excited to return home to Whangarei with the prestigious New Zealand Youth Choir. Rhiannon
joined the national choir in 2017, her first since her time with local group OperaNorth.
She credits encouragement from her mentor, the late Joan Kennaway with her bravery to audition, and for her first big
solo at ‘Opera in the Garden’ in front of an audience of a few hundred.
“I first thought there was no way I was singing alone in front of that many people, but Joanie just raised an eyebrow and said "you'll be fine" and I
was.”
Now she’s one of 50 nationally auditioned singers between the ages 18-25 who have been selected to represent New
Zealand. The choir is performing at Christ Church at the Regent for the first time as part of their Summer Tour.
The choirs trophy cabinet at headquarters is full to the brim and includes the ‘world cup’ of choir singing, the ‘Choir
of the World’ trophy won in 1999 in Wales.
Music Director David Squire is excited about the upcoming visit to Northland, saying “Our current repertoire consists of
music being prepared for our Pasifika tour at the end of the year, so there's a range of music from Aotearoa and our
neighbours, as well as some of the classics”
Whangarei is their first step on the road to the Pacific, where they’ll be performing in six countries, including Samoa,
Tonga and Australia.
New Zealand Youth Choir in Northland – Summer Tour, 7pm, 31 January 2019, Christ Church at the Regent, Tickets available
now:www.nzyouthchoir.com
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