Choral Award composer announced

Awhina Waimotu has been announced as winner of the 2010 SOUNZ-NZCF Choral Composition Competition for Te Atua. The choral work was the young composer's gift to the school choir she has sung with for the last three years. 

"Twelve compositions were submitted," says adjudicator and composer Dorothy Buchanan. "Styles ranged from traditional through to contemporary genres. All twelve showed effective choral writing skills and were beautifully presented. The fact that I have awarded eight of the works, covering first, second, third, very highly, highly and commended, shows the calibre of this year’s compositions." 

Awhina Waimotu with the 2008 NZCF Māori Performance Award for her arrangement and choreography of He Honore

Awhina has been a student at Aorere College in Auckland and sung in the The Sweet Sixteen Choir, directed by HOD Music Doug Nyce. Currently, she is pursuing her love of singing as a member of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Choir travelling to Canada and is studying for a performance degree in Voice at the New Zealand School of Music, Wellington. 

"I breathe music," Awhina told us. "Music is the only place in the world where I find peace. It is something that is in my bones.

"This work was my first composition. When I was handed our composition assignment for the term in class I thought of how  my school choir had done so much for me and helped me with my singing so I wanted to give them a song. I started thinking about what I was going to write about and thought I would set a prayer and gift it to them so that wherever they go they will be safe."

Doug Nyce adds: "The Sweet Sixteen love the piece.  They have rehearsed it with Awhina and myself on and off over the past nine months. The work and our performance of it have been refined through this process.

"Awhina was a section leader of the spranos for three years in the Sweet Sixteen and there was instant respect for her leadership and musicianship. Te Atua is dedicated to the Sweet Sixteen and to me. This is a great honour, humbling, and it has been a pleasure to be the first to sing it in public (it has been sung for school assemblies and at concerts in the community this year).  Awhina is an inspirational performer, scholar and composer and all Aorere students look up to her and strive to follow her example."

The Sweet Sixteen from Aorere College will perform Te Atua at the Finale concert of the BIG SING in Auckland on August 11, and the SOUNZ-NZCF Award will be presented to Awhina.