Beat the Winter Blues II (2004)
Wednesday 23 June, 7.00pm in the Tawa College Hall

The following article is from Shona Murray, HOD Music, Tawa College, and was written in advance of the event.
Official photos featuring many of the performers can be seen further down this page.

Beat the Winter Blues is a concert featuring the instrumental groups at Tawa College. Over the past months, the singers have had a variety of opportunities to sing in events like the Barbershop Regional Finals and the Regional 'Big Sing'. This concert gives the public the opportunity to hear the work of directors and students in instrumental groups as they perform pieces they have rehearsed throughout the first two terms.

Tawa College music students have had a busy half-year, as the majority of the students in the instrumental groups also sing in the choral groups. It has always been a philosophy held by Tawa College teachers, that students are better instrumentalists if they sing, so students are encouraged to take the opportunities offered by the all comers group the 'Dawn Chorus' as well as smaller chamber choirs. The Dawn Chorus will conclude the evening's programme with three songs.

Instrumental groups performing in the 'Beat the Winter Blues' Concert will be: Concert Band, String Group, Heart Strings, Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, GuiTawa, Harmonic Winds, Soft Metal (a new flute group), and the Extension Chords (a small jazz ensemble).

The MIB (Musical Island Boys) barbershop quartet will sing two items at the concert, which will be on the eve of their departure to compete in the international barbershop competition in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

Congratulations to Tawa College groups who have been selected for National Finals:

• Acafellas and Maiden Tawa will defend their national titles at the 2004 Barbershop Final on Sunday, 29 August at the Dunedin Town Hall.
• Morning Stars is one of the 20 choirs from around New Zealand selected for the Finale of the 'Big Sing' Wednesday 25 August - Saturday 28 August in the Dunedin Town Hall.