Western News: September 10, 2019

10 Tuesday September 10 2019
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
News
Chorus bound for New Orleans
• By Claire Booker
SINGERS IN the Christchurch
City Chorus are packing their
bags and warming up their
voices for the Sweet Adelines
World Championship in New
Orleans.
The group was founded in
1985 and the women sing in a
four-part harmony a capella
style and have been national
champions 11 times – but this
time they are back representing
the country on an international
stage.
The last time the group performed
internationally was 2016
in Las Vegas where they placed
fifth and received the “most
entertaining” award.
The chorus is made up of 130
women from across Christchurch,
with members also
hailing from Nelson, Dunedin,
Invercargill, Palmerston North,
Auckland and Australia.
Ellie Sutton, of Cashmere, is
one of the chorus members and
said she is fizzing in anticipation
of her first international contest.
“We and our families have
willingly sacrificed so much to
get the fabulous Christchurch
City Chorus to this point. New
Orleans is the pinnacle of the
journey we have taken together
over the last couple of years and
I can’t wait to show the rest of
ENTERTAINING: The Christchurch City Chorus will head to
New Orleans for the Sweet Adelines World Championship this
week.
PHOTO: CLIVE COPEMAN ​
the SAI world what we can do,”
she said.
Papanui’s Nicky McCaughan
is the group’s visual director,
and she is in charge of the choreography
and showmanship of
the chorus.
The chorus will fly to New
Orleans this week, and the
competition will run from September
16 to 21.
Redwood resident Sharyn
Glassey is excited and feels
“blessed” to be a part of the
chorus.
“Never in my wildest dreams
did I ever think I would be representing
our beautiful country
in an international competition,”
she said.
Musical director Virginia
Humphrey-Taylor said the chorus
is excited for the thrill of
representing New Zealand on
the international stage.
“It has taken three solid years
of learning and performing
songs to reach this pinnacle
time. The chorus’ aim is to better
our fifth placing in Las Vegas
the last time we represented
New Zealand in 2016,” she said.
“It is exciting, extremely
focused, intensely pleasurable
work, right up until the moment
on stage when they announce:
‘We are ready for our next
contestant, from Christchurch,
New Zealand, under the
direction of Virginia Humphrey-
Taylor, the Christchurch City
Chorus,’ I live for this moment
in my life,” Ms Humphrey-
Taylor said.
Speed limits under review
around Yaldhurst
SPEED LIMITS in Yaldhurst are
being reviewed.
The city council is planning
to lower the speed limits on
Ryans, Pound and Hasketts Rds
as well as in Yaldhurst Village to
60km/h.
The New Zealand Transport
Agency is also be looking at
decreasing the speed limit along
State Highway 73 in the area.
City council staff have spoken
to residents and businesses about
making the highway around
Yaldhurst safer.
There has been a lot of
development in the area, both
commercial and residential, and
more pedestrians are present,
especially around the intersection
of SH73 and Sir John MacKenzie
Ave.
In the last 10 years, there were
56 crashes. As a result of these
crashes, there was one fatality
WESTERN NEWS
SAFETY: Speed
limits around
the intersection
of Pound and
Ryans Rds are
under review.
and five people were seriously
injured.
The Halswell-Hornby-
Riccarton and Fendalton-
Waimairi-Harewood community
boards will consider all
submissions and hear from
submitters before making any
recommendations over speed
limits. A recommendation on
Ryans, Pound and Hasketts Rds,
as well as Yaldhurst Village, will
be made to the city council before
final approval can be given.
For State Highway 73, NZTA
will decide on what the safe and
appropriate speeds should be
based on a technical assessment
and submissions.
•To make a submission, go
to www.ccc.govt.nz/thecouncil/consultations-andsubmissions/haveyoursay/
before September 30.