The next concert in the Globe Sunday Matinee series will feature Daniel and Bronte Hodgetts, who are members of the New Zealand National Youth Choir, which is shortly to travel and perform overseas. It will firstly sing in Singapore in collaboration with Voices of Singapore. In Denmark it will take part in the European Choir Games, before going on to perform in London and Oxford. In Wales it will be part of the Grand Prix of Nations competition. The Choir has in past years been winners of the Choir of the World Competition.

The venture is a costly one personally for the two young singers, and this concert, named A Choral Journey is in part a fund-raising opportunity. Contributing to their selection for the National Youth Choir have been their impressive backgrounds in music and community activity.

Daniel Hodgetts graduated from Te Koki New Zealand School of Music in 2020 with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance (trombone, and teaches full-time at Milson Primary school. He sings with the Renaissance Singers and plays bass trombone in the Swamp City Big Band. He is in his second cycle as a bass with the New Zealand Youth Choir, having previously sung with the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir. He is also part of the Voices NZ 60-voice artist pool.

The alto of the quartet is Bronte Hodgetts. She is a member of the Renaissance Singers, and is a current member of the New Zealand Youth Choir. Bronte is a primary school teacher with a passion for teaching music and The Arts.

Daniel and Bronte will be joined by fellow Renaissance Singers choristers Rachel Turner and Nigel Tongs for vocal quartets.

Rachel Turner was a member of the New Zealand Secondary School Choir, performing at the World Choral Festival in Hawaii in 1996. Over the years, Rachel has served as a lead vocalist and worship leader in churches, while also mentoring aspiring singers in their vocal development. She joined the Renaissance Singers in 2022. Rachel is married to fellow musician Andrew, and together they have raised four musical children, continuing their family’s strong musical legacy.
Nigel Tongs is a local musician and primary school teacher in the Manawatu. A past member of the successful 1991 New Zealand Youth Choir, and current member of the Voices NZ Chamber Choir, Nigel contributes to the Renaissance Singers as the assistant conductor and performs as tenor soloist with other choirs around the region, particularly in Wanganui and Hastings. His most recent performance was at the Music Viva 100th Anniversary concert, performing as one of many young performer scholarship winners in the 1990's. He directs the Saturday Music programme, works with children's choirs and conducting the Manawatu Training Orchestra.

The quartet will sing some pieces unaccompanied, and will be accompanied at the piano in others by Guy Donaldson. Their varied programme opens with a powerful setting of Psalm 100 by Palmerston North composer Graham Parsons. This leads into the reflective In Days of Peace by Darius Lim. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was once a frequently performed composer by Choral Societies, and his Four Part-songs
will demonstrate that his beautiful music is worth reviving. Karl Jenkins is one of the most popular contemporary composers in current Choral Society repertoire, and his Cantilena makes an immediate and powerful impression. In the latter part of the programme the quartet appropriately connects with Wales in three light numbers celebrating the culture. Concert goers will be familiar with the New Zealand iconic number Hine e Hine, and will also enjoy the upbeat gospel number ‘Take me to the Water.’ The concert concludes with ‘The Prayer’ sung by Daniel and Bronte.

Admission is by donation, recommended as generous as possible.