On Thursday 19 October, the voices of senior choirs from St Pius X, Adamstown; St Peter’s, ASC, Maitland; St Paul’s, Booragul; St Joseph’s, Lochinvar; St Mary’s, Gateshead and San Clemente, Mayfield, came together at St Joseph’s College, Lochinvar, for the ninth annual Choral Showcase.
Various genres of music were covered from Macklemore’s ‘Glorious’ to contemporary choral work ‘Adiemus’ by Welsh composer, Karl Jenkins. It was a real celebration of music and song.
The performance of Oasis’ Wonderwall by St Peter’s all male choir ‘Mancellin’ took me straight back to my teenage years!
The singing truly reflected the beauty of the day and the students’ enthusiasm and passion for music.
The showcase was adjudicated by Sister Maureen, Carmel Tapley and Danielle O’Keefe, who had a difficult task in making a decision as to who should take out the coveted trophy.
After some deliberation they returned to let the expectant audience of choirs and students of St Joseph’s (who were a fantastically supportive audience) know who had won.
Danielle began by thanking all the choirs and commenting on the incredibly high standard of performances. A special mention was also given to St Mary’s, Gateshead, for its poignant rendition of ‘When We Were Young’ by Adele.
The winner was declared − St Pius X, Adamstown, for its fabulous performances of ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon (arr Pentatonix) and ‘A Rightful Place’ by Steve Angrisano.
The showcase was followed by a barbecue lunch for all the choirs and it was here the students had the opportunity to mingle and congratulate each other on their performances.
Congratulations to St Pius X and to all the choirs who participated as well as the talented music teaching staff, without whom there would be no choirs in our schools. Thank you for another truly excellent showcase of song.