The musical extravaganza which is New England Sings! will burst back onto the stage in 2022 following a two-year COVID-19 enforced hiatus.
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A cultural grant of $10,000 was provided ahead of the postponed event in 2021 and on Tuesday, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall announced a $36,721 state government grant to support school student participation.
The artistic director and co-CEO of the New England Conservatorium of Music (NECOM) Corinne Arter said she hoped this year's New England Sings! will ignite school choir singing following a difficult couple of years with COVID.
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"In 2013 and 2015 NECOM was awarded the prestigious national Australian Art Music Award for Excellence in Education and Excellence in a Regional Area for this event, a great honour in categories where such iconic organisations such as Gondwana Choirs, Australian Chamber Orchestra and Moorambillah Voices were also nominated," Ms Arter said.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for teachers to support their classroom music programs and/or to provide a focus for their school choir for the second half of the year."
Mr Marshall said the award-winning New England Sings! had put the region's performing arts sector on the map and he was looking forward to its return in October.
"It is music to my ears to hear NECOM is warming up the vocal cords and preparing for the start of rehearsals in July," Mr Marshall said.
"The mass choral event has become a centrepiece for our cultural calendar, delivering high quality music education and performance opportunities to 900 young people from 36 regional schools.
"This funding will assist participating schools to access free choral workshops delivered by NECOM, and ensure remote schools receive travel assistance to attend the final rehearsals and performance.
"Funds will also support some of the costs associated with staging a showcase of this scale."
Mr Marshall said the nationally acclaimed event had again received musical contributions from some of the country's leading songwriters and composers.
"NECOM is once again partnering with leading Australian artists, with two new choral works commissioned especially for the event - a piece by Justine Clarke for the primary choral and another by Luke Byrne for the secondary section," he said.
"Our region has some of the State's most talented and aspiring musicians and what a way to celebrate post pandemic normality, and a return to the stage, than by bringing this talented cohort together and raising the roof in song."
New England Sings will take place at 11am and 2.30pm on Sunday, October 23.
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