Highnote

New Zealand 2007 / 69min.
Director Jeremy Macey

Five years after their triumphant Choir of the World victory at Llangollen, Wales, the Tower New Zealand Youth Choir are prepared for their next major tour, through Slovenia, Hungary and Austria.

Director Macey follows the Choir on a gruelling cycle of travel, rehearsal and performance culminating in the prestigious Seghizzi International Choral Competition in Gorizia, Italy. Led by internationally acclaimed conductor Karen Grylls, the lively choir members hone their performance of Maori and Western repertoire to enraptured audiences in spectacular venues.

Observing Karen and the singers in rehearsal as they strive to perfect their performance reveals the Choir’s collective passion for singing and their intense focus on technical detail. These are the strengths that allow the Choir to excel. But as the Competition looms, one question stays in the singers’ minds: will they be able to make their mark at the highest level of choral performance?

This observational documentary is a privileged insider’s view into one of New Zealand’s foremost artistic groups and the qualities that have allowed it to achieve top results in a competitive international environment.

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