With uplifted hearts and voices

ROD WISE

Students of St Johns Catholic Primary School at Dapto have been fine-tuning their vocal cords in preparation for the City of Wollongong Eisteddfod.

And their big day is next Tuesday, June 3, when all the school’s choral performers will be appearing in their Eisteddfod sections at the WIN Entertainment Centre, before several hundred enthusiastic parents and a few hard-nosed judges.

It’s sudden death day as well, because that’s when they’ll know whether they have won their sections or have been highly commended.

“You can imagine how excited the children are,” said Mrs Tracy Steep, a teacher at the school.

“Especially, the little ones. For them, it’s their first-ever performance and it’s in such a big venue and in front of so many people. They are very excited.”

St Johns students from Kindergarten and Year 2 will be competing in the Verse Speaking section while Year 1 will be competing in the Vocal Choir section and the Middle School Choir, will be competing in the Hymn Singing section.

Kindergarten students will be performing The Land of the Bumbly Boo, Windy Word, Can We Get a Dog Dad? and Magic Chant, while students from Year 2 will be performing Full Moon Rhyme and The Triantiwontigongolope”

Year 1 students will be singing Feelin’ Groovy and The Poor King while Middle School will be singing Battle Hymn Of The Republic and Heart to Change the World.

To the best of Mrs Steep’s recollection, St Johns has never won a choral section in the Wollongong City Eisteddfod, but its choirs have been highly commended on several occasions.

So to chalk up their first ever victory, the students have been working hard over the past months and are eager to showcase their talents in front of the audience.

“We’re not only fine-tuning our singing,” Mrs Steep said, “but also our presentation – that counts for a lot. And can you imagine how hard it is to get five- and six-year-olds to stand still for any length of time?”