John Shone
St Patrick’s College choir, Con Anima, has won trophies and money in the prestigious 2006 McDonald’s Performing Arts Competition in Sydney last month.
The 27-strong choir, led by musical director, Roger Powdrell, assistant, Michelle McCorkindale, and accompanist, Amy Lee, plus choir manager, Brother Matt Morris, competed for the first time in the Australian competition.
But any first-time nerves clearly didn’t show as they relished the chance to showcase their many musical talents competing against choirs from as far afield as Perth, Western Australia.
The barbershop chorus secured first place in the popular/show [open age] section and first in the unaccompanied chamber choir event. The smaller ensemble chamber choir won the a capella section, and the full choir claimed second place in the Australasian Secondary Schools’ Choral competition.
For the record, Con Anima – the Italian name translates as ‘with spirit’ – may well be ruing the singing and performance tips that they generously shared with their Sydney hosts, Barker College, who went on to beat Con Anima to first place in the choral section of the competition.
Clearly it seems New Zealand still has much to offer its Aussie cousins!
The choir will appear on the TV1 Sunday morning programme, Praise Be, next month along with St Catherine’s college choir, and plans are well underway for the choir to record a CD as a fitting way to celebrate their fine achievements in 2006. Well done, Con Anima, and long may your musical deeds flourish!