Over the past week, Cantrices had the privilege of singing with the country’s top 24 choirs at the Big Sing National Finale in Dunedin.

We knew it was going to be a great trip as soon as we arrived at our lodging - Hogwartz. It was homey and the owners were instantly welcoming and made us feel at home.

Thursday arrived and we were off to the official opening ceremony. As soon as we arrived, the atmosphere was amazing. Instead of it being very competitive, it was festive and welcoming. While waiting, choirs all around the town hall would start singing a well-known song, then the whole hall would erupt into song. It was an incredible experience to be among hundreds of people all singing and celebrating together.

During the sessions, we got to watch some incredibly talented choirs perform 5 different songs each for the Big Sing Finale. It was especially nice to be able to listen to and support the only other Canterbury choirs there: Con Brio from Villa Maria and Resolutions from Rangi Ruru. Between the sessions, we went out in groups to get lunch. This was an amazing chance to bond and get to know each other. I really loved the fact that everyone was able to talk to each other no matter whether you were Year 9 or Year 13.

As the next few days went on, we performed our five pieces. When we were watching we had a few laughs with the choirs across from and next to us. In fact, the choir next to us was called Cantatrices, which people got confused about which choir was which. We decided we definitely had to cheer for each other!

Each evening was great fun as well. Hogwartz was like a home away from home. Our choir has an amazing bond and trust which positively impacted our choir immensely. We weren’t thinking too much about the competitive side of The Big Sing but the experience. Even so, we were extremely proud to have Hilary Barry present Bronze to us at the Saturday night awards ceremony.

After the awards, everyone was buzzing with excitement for the social event. The social event was great fun and was our night to stay up late. It was loud and fun and a great chance to let loose after the months of hard work we’ve put in. Sunday morning we were all exhausted but sad to be leaving. This has been an incredible opportunity for us and we are so grateful to have had this amazing experience with our choir family.