Tickets On Sale And Programme Announced For July’s Major Global Music Event, World Choir Games 2024

Tickets for the eagerly anticipated World Choir Games 2024, taking place in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland from 10 to 20 July, go on sale at 10am today. Over 11,000 participants will descend upon the city, with around 250 choirs from more than 30 countries now registered to perform.

The event comprises a global competition with numerous categories, a wide range of concerts, ceremonies and workshops – all in the central city – and free-to-attend daytime events right across Tāmaki Makaurau.

The philosophy behind the World Choir Games is to unify people and nations in fair competition through song. It is based on the premise that music, the common language of the world, can act as a bridge between countries and cultures. To inspire people to experience the power of singing together, the Games places personality and team spirit over competitive outcomes.

Annie Dundas, Director Destination at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, is enthusiastic about showcasing Auckland's rich musical heritage and cultural diversity on the global stage.

"Tāmaki Makaurau, a UNESCO City of Music, has music in its DNA. The many thousands of singers travelling here are sure to find inspiration from the environment, our music, our people, and each other. I don’t think Aucklanders really understand just how big this event will be. We look forward to offering our manaakitanga to guests from across the country and the globe, and experiencing the incredible music on offer," Dundas says.

Auckland’s 2024 World Choir Games will offer 28 competition categories, encompassing nearly all choir types and choral music styles imaginable. In addition, each category takes place at both ‘Open’ and ‘Champions’ levels, allowing choirs to compete against others of similar experience and skill.

Adjudicating each category is a jury of international experts whose averaged marks are used to determine whether choirs are awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals, or Diplomas.

With so many choirs attending the Games and many entering more than one category, a very large jury pool is needed. To this end, 36 highly distinguished jurors from all over the globe will gather in Auckland in July. Hailing from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, UK, Uruguay, USA and Venezuela, they will form by far the largest group of choral luminaries to ever visit New Zealand.

Alongside the competition, which runs throughout the day, curated evening concerts will feature a veritable feast of choral music from many parts of the world. WCG2024 Artistic & Games Director John Rosser is delighted with the programme his team has put together.

"We have worked to provide something for everyone, highlighting some of the best international groups audiences will hear during the daytime sessions and mixing in a strong representation of the superb choral and cultural scene here in Aotearoa. This, for me, is the whole reason for hosting this great event: to bring to our faraway country an array of new choral sounds, styles and ideas, while in turn sharing with the world what we have to offer,” Rosser says.

A Choral Kaleidoscope consists of two concerts, on Thursday 11 July and Wednesday 17 July in the Auckland Town Hall, each featuring four colourful and exciting but quite different international choirs. These include groups from the USA, Switzerland, Denmark, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

A Night of Song and Dance, two concerts presented in partnership with Te Matatini, will deliver a stunning fusion of kapa haka and choral music at Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre. On Friday 12 a performance by the legendary Te Waka Huia will be followed by the graceful, storytelling Paduan Suara Mahasiswa from Indonesia, while the concert on Thursday 18 July sets 2019 Te Matatini winners Ngā Tūmanako alongside the celebrated New Zealand Youth Choir.

Pacific Spirit, on Saturday 13 July in the Auckland Town Hall and curated by powerhouse Pacific performing arts collective, Pacific Underground, will celebrate the harmonious songs, vibrant dances and epic stories of the island nations of Aotearoa's Pacific communities.

The two Night of the Dragon concerts on Friday 12 and Wednesday 17 July at Holy Trinity Cathedral honour the more than 80 choral groups from China who have registered for the Games. Each evening features three top Chinese choirs, as well as popular items by a massed choir to be conducted by one of our international jurors.

A very special highlight will be the multi-composer, multi-choir work Matariki He Kāhui Reo (Matariki, a Constellation of Voices), which will receive its world première on Monday 15 July in Parnell’s atmospheric Holy Trinity Cathedral, with a repeat on Tuesday 16th. The work brings together seven of New Zealand’s finest choirs and a kapa haka rōpū to depict each of the nine stars of Matariki as characterised by our adviser Dr Rangi Mātāmua and in music by six of our leading choral writers.

An exciting workshop programme at the World Choir Games 2024, led by esteemed choral experts from around the globe and offering a variety of immersive learning experiences for both the visiting singers and the general public, will go on sale at the end of May. The workshop subjects range from South African song and dance styles to Latin American choral rhythms, Philippine singing games and the African American spiritual; from musicianship exercises for choirs to music through children’s eyes and recreating instruments, including a whole drumkit, with your voice. An undoubted highlight is the session by juror Deke Sharon – acclaimed music director for the Pitch Perfect film series and a pioneer of contemporary a cappella singing – who will lead the audience in a Pitch Perfect Singalong!

INTERKULTUR President Günter Titsch says, “Hosting the World Choir Games 2024 in Auckland, our first time in Oceania, is a significant milestone for us. Choirs from around the globe will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the rich cultural and musical heritage of this region first-hand, while also contributing their own unique melodies. We are immensely proud to facilitate such a vibrant exchange and to unite singers across continents, united by their shared passion for music.”

Established in 2000, the World Choir Games (WCG) has become the largest international choir competition in the world. The biennial event is a celebration of diversity, friendship, and song, drawing choirs from every corner of the globe together in a show of musical unity.

The 2024 event, a partnership between the New Zealand Choral Federation and German rights holders INTERKULTUR and presented with the substantial support of NZ Major Events and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, will begin on Wednesday 10 July with an Opening Ceremony at Spark Arena. Following an international flag parade, national and Games anthems and an official welcome, the Ceremony will conclude with a spectacular multicultural show from Aotearoa New Zealand, crafted by a star-studded creative team and directed by Malia Johnston, Show Director of the fêted World of WearableArt.

Tickets for the 13th World Choir Games competition and concerts are now on sale via www.wcg2024.co.nz.

About INTERKULTUR (Germany)

INTERKULTUR is the world’s leading organiser of international choir competitions and festivals since 1988. INTERKULTUR hosts approximately 14 international choir competitions and festivals annually worldwide. Their "World Choir Council", akin to a United Nations of choral singing, comprises leading figures from culture, politics, and business, representing a global musical network of approximately 120,000 choirs and 4.8 million singers across 80 countries. With support from various ministries, municipal authorities, and organisations, INTERKULTUR has offices and representatives in numerous countries.

About New Zealand Choral Federation

The New Zealand Choral Federation (NZCF) is Aotearoa’s largest choral network, committed to promoting the performance, creation, and enjoyment of choral music for all. Their diverse community includes over 20,000 members from hundreds of community, school, and chamber choirs performing in styles ranging from classical, gospel, world music, sacred music and barbershop through to jazz, kapa haka, musical theatre, and opera.

About Tātaki Auckland Unlimited

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s economic and cultural agency committed to making our region a desirable place to live, work, visit, invest and do business. To find out more visit aucklandunlimited.com

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