Alumnus Dr Philip Oliver, who just a couple of months ago graduated with a PhD, was part of the tour, which saw the choir sing in Singapore, Denmark, and in several parts of the United Kingdom.
“This is the first time the choir has been to Europe, or entered any competitions since 2016, which is before any current members were part of the choir,” explains Philip. So it was no small feat then, for the choir, all aged 18–24, to win prizes in the two competitions that they entered.
The choir entered the International Musical Eisteddfod, in Llangollen, Wales, winning the Adult Folk and Mixed Choir sections of the competition, and coming third in the Open Choir competition. Their Mixed Choir win made them eligible for the Choir of the World competition, which they went on to win.
“The mood of the win was surreal. A mix of surprise, excitement, accomplishment, pride in how far this group of singers has come in the last 3 years.
“Our biggest wins came about because of our commitment to sharing songs and stories from Aotearoa and the Pacific in competitions where they don’t often hear music from our side of the world,” says Philip.
They also attended the European Choir Games in Aarhus, Denmark, where they won the Grand Prix of Nations for their Folklore category, as well as coming second in Musica Sacra a Capella.
New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī alumni Kassandra Wang, Herbert Zielinski, and Dan Hodgetts were members of the choir, and Charles Rainey is currently studying voice performance at Te Kōkī. Other singers associated with Te Herenga Waka are Ruby Prescott-Mason, Freya Kersey, Alexandra Buchanan, and Joshua Jamieson.
The tour marked the end of choir director David Squire’s 15-year tenure with the choir.