The Star: May 04, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Thursday May 4 2017 27
Theatre/Arts
A cappella group on road to stardom
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding
CITY COUPLE Malia and Julian
Hay have never been afraid to
take risks.
It was just over a year ago
they delved into the unknown,
setting up the city’s first ever
vocal academy specialising in
contemporary a cappella singing
– Voices Co.
The endeavour has proven to
be successful for the Linwood
pair who have produced more
than 20 songs, had about 50
come through their school and
have three established squads.
So when Television New
Zealand began the hunt to find
the country’s top a cappella
singing group the couple decided
to enter their top performance
squad in the new show The
Naked Choir.
The ensemble made up of Mr
and Mrs Hay, Liam Dacombe,
Jasmine Salam and Anneliese
Veronese was one of eight voice
groups to be selected to compete
on the reality show hosted by
singer Jeff Hunkin.
Already the group has made
an impact singing their own
version of singer-songwriter Sia’s
The Greatest, making it past the
first stage of the competition on
Sunday.
“The first week we didn’t know
anything about the groups we
were competing with . . . we sort
of had no idea if we were the
only group doing contemporary
against maybe four different
choirs,” Mrs Hay said.
Expecting to be assigned
a specific song for their first
challenge, the groups were
thrown a “curve ball” having
to choose their own song and
arrange it in two weeks.
Mrs Hay said the first challenge
was “agonising” with the
group needing to choose a song
that showcased their best skills
and what contemporary a cappella
is all about.
Having first met at the
Christchurch Schools’ Music
Festival when the couple was 10,
Mrs Hay said the city’s music
scene has been a huge part on
their life.
“Earthquakes aside it is very
special to be representing our
city. But a city that has had a lot
of change and really had to pick
itself up creatively,” she said.
Aiming to take the title for the
country’s best a cappella group is
not all the Hays have on the go,
with plans to take their academy
into high schools later this year.
ON THE TELLY:
Voices Co have
successfully
entered their top
performance
squad in
the national
television show
The Naked
Choir. (From
left) - Julian Hay,
Jasmine Salam,
Liam Dacombe,
Anneliese
Veronese and
Malia Hay. ​
The academy will offer schools
master classes and will look to
perform at schools to inspire
students to study music.
Plans are also in the making
for the academy to run a
workshop conference over the
summer holidays for singers and
people wanting to start up their
own tutor groups.
Mrs Hay said she wants the
academy to contribute to the
city’s music economy and help
singers get paid work.
“I certainly don’t think musicians
work any less hard than
any other profession its just it
is hard to get started and that is
what we are passionate about,”
she said.
But she said the academy is
also aiming to make contemporary
a cappella accessible to
everyone who wants to give the
style a go.
•The Naked Choir airs on
Sunday, 8.30pm, TV One.
Voices Co appear again on
May 14.
Singer bares his soul in musical comedy
A CITY-BASED singer,
songwriter, entertainer and
massage therapist will bare his
soul at the upcoming Cavell
Leitch International Jazz and
Blues Festival.
Gary Starlight, also known as
Jeff Clark (right) is set to perform
a three-night season of musical
comedy show as part of the festival
to be held at Orange Studios
in Woolston.
Jeff Clark is a veteran improviser
who performs with
The Court Jesters and has been
involved in The Court Theatre’s
Scared Scriptless since 1996.
Clark describes his alter ego
Gary Starlight as a cross between
John Rowles, Elvis, Michael
Buble and Pepe Le Pew.
As part of the show “Gary
Starlight” will recount the worst
year of his life and sing the songs
he wrote following each event.
The one-hour show will be
filled with original songs produced
“out of thin air” inspired
only by Clark’s interactions with
the audience.
The character “Gary Starlight “
first emerged as a wedding singer
in The Court Jesters’ ensemble
improvisation show The Early
Early Late Show in 2012.
Since then several shows have
been created by Clark with
The Gary Starlight Christmas
Special at The Court Theatre in
2013 and An Evening With Gary
Starlight with the Nelson Fringe
Festival last year.
Clark will be accompanied by
pianist Kris Finnerty and guitarist/bass
player Brad Kang.
•Clark will perform at the
Orange Studios on May
25,26 and 27. For more information
on the Cavell Leitch
International Jazz and Blues
Festival go to http://jazzbluesfestival.co.nz/
style
noun
elegance and sophistication.
synonyms: flair, grace, poise,
polish, suaveness, urbanity,
chic, finesse, taste, class,
comfort, luxury, affluence,
wealth, opulence, lavishness.
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