G’day mob, grab the shrimp on the barbie because the NHHS choirs are heading down under, to perform at two of the most extraordinary opera houses in the world.
On July 8, 2014, the choral director at NHHS, Angie Jones is taking 22 students from all the choirs to Australia and New Zealand. According to Jones, the price to go is $4100, and includes the $2000 it costs for the flight. The remaining cost includes hotel costs and entrance fees for the music festivals at which they will be performing.
“We’re going to Sydney, Australia and we’ll be performing in the Sydney Opera House, which is the largest opera house in the world,” said Jones.
The Sydney Opera House seats 5532 people and includes 8 venues, including a concert hall, Joan Sutherland theatre, Drama theatre, the Playhouse, a studio, the Utzon Room, the Forecourt and a recording studio, according to sydneyoperahouse.com.
Other than performing at the Sydney Opera house, “We’ll be singing with kids from Australia and kids from the US,” said Jones.
Jones said that they will also be accompanied by conductor Heather Buchanan, whom Jones used to work with while she was president of the Maryland choral directors.
“She’s amazing, so I want to go with her, plus she’s from Australia, so she knows places for us to see and stuff,” said Jones.
Jones also says that the music Buchanan picked is music that she was on board with, “I love them[the pieces] so much,” said Jones.
Two songs the choir students will be singing, according Jones are, Honor the Earth which is by a famous Australian composer.
“It uses overtone singing which is really different and interesting,” said Jones.
The second piece they’ll be singing is called Lux aeterna, by American composer Morten Lauridsen. “This song has 7 different parts and will be accompanied by an orchestra,” said Jones.
As far as the music festival goes, the festival actually picks out the songs for them, according to Jones.
Beyond singing at the festivals, the NHHS choir students will also have the opportunity to visit a school in Sydney for the day. According to Jones the group will also fly to Brisbane and perform at the Brisbane Opera House. Then they will stop by New Zealand, (which was a last minute decision), and will stay there for the last two days. The students will be able to tour around and visit some of the tribal sites in New Zealand, but their primary destination in New Zealand is Auckland.
“I’m excited to have the choirs sing in the Sydney Opera House for sure, but I want to see kangaroos and koala bears and all that stuff,” said Jones.
Students from the NHHS choir are also excited to go to Australia, including junior Kaitlyn Hopkins.
“I’m looking forward to singing in the Sydney Opera house and being 2 hours away from Hobbiton when we get to Auckland,” said Hopkins.
Overall Jones hopes that this tops the chorus program’s last performance overseas in Italy, at the St. Peter’s Vasilica at the Vatican in Rome, Italy.
“The trip there[to Australia] is really long but to me it’s going to be worth it,” said Jones.