Kotuku youth choir wins supreme award

28 November 2008
Kotuku Music Academy Support Trust is the supreme winner of the 2008 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards, which recognises its work in providing a safe community for young people through music.

The awards celebrate the contribution of volunteer organisations in the Wellington region. Along with the supreme winner, five community service awards across various sectors of the Wellington region were presented in late November.

There are 23 young people in the Kotuku Choir, ranging in ages from eight to 21. They sing in 12 languages, performing the song and dance of Aotearoa and the Pacific Rim, original multi-media composition, and international repertoire.

The choir members come from diverse backgrounds. Some have overcome abuse and violent pasts. Others are the children of chief executives, lawyers and diplomats. It’s a mix that delights Founding Director Sharon Thorburn, who believes that we can all grow tremendously by overcoming our differences and learning from each other.

Singing like angels

She says the award belongs to everyone, particularly to the city and region. “The best part of the awards ceremony was watching all of our Kotuku kids shine, sing like angels, and move everyone to tears and a standing ovation.”

Sharon founded the Kotuku Choir in 2004. She has a postgraduate degree in music composition from Victoria University and has taught for 20 years, both in New Zealand, and internationally.

Earlier this year, the Kotuku Choir toured for one month in the United States and England, where they performed with prestigious choirs and in community concerts.
 
In February 2009, Kotuku Music Academy Support Trust will host the internationally acclaimed Tiffin Choir of Kingston-upon-Thames in England.

Fundraising concert

Never one to rest on her laurels, Sharon is now co-ordinating a concert to be held at the Michael Fowler Centre on 21 February. It will provide an opportunity for community and professional choirs to come together and sing under the direction of Simon Toyne, director of the Tiffin Choir.

One of the main aims of the concert is to fundraise for a permanent home and rehearsal space for the choir.

The Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand is working in partnership with Kotuku Choir to showcase Shakespeare’s plays and Wellington’s talented young performing artists at the concert.