Arts News Term 2, Week 8 2026

NEW! Contemporary Music Night NEW!

We have many fine examples of contemporary music on display at SMC, and our successes at Rockquest and Bandquest over the years are a testament to this. This year we have decided to showcase contemporary music as a separate entity. 

The contemporary music night will not only incorporate the many traditional SMC rockbands, but other groups presenting contemporary music and artists too. The string orchestra will perform pieces by Coldplay and Ed Sheeran and the A Cappella and Senior Pops Choir will be treating us to something modern and current.

Come and support the many SMC girls involved in this area of music. It should be a fun, free night out. Charles Luney Auditorium 7pm on Wed 24 June. We would love to see as many people as possible attend this inaugural event.

MUSIC

The Big Sing

There were 30 choirs performing at the Big Sing this year, sharing a variety of songs and styles. We heard traditional folksongs, songs from musicals, classical songs, songs sung in different languages, Māori Waiata, pop tunes and a jazz classic. Both the variety of songs and the polished performances were commendable. Each choir brought its own character and flavour to the stage, some with enhanced accompaniment from string players and drums.

The SMC Chamber Choir was one of the choirs that then performed in the evening Gala concert.

Alice Rodda’s experience, Senior Arts Council - 

On the 5th of June, the SMC Chamber Choir performed at the annual Big Sing in the Christchurch Town Hall. We performed the songs: The Bird, Miserere, and Rehua ki te whenua. These songs challenged the group not only to work together but also to listen carefully to each other's parts. This created the sense that we were all contributing to something bigger than ourselves. I would like to acknowledge Mia Stevens, who did an amazing flute accompaniment, acting as the bird who is stuck in the house. 

What I love most about Big Sing is the way, even though it is a competition, every school still supports and encourages each other to the max. I especially loved it before the evening gala, how every school joined in and sang karaoke-style popular songs. This made not only me, but everyone, feel a sense of connection and a love of singing. Thank you to Ms Wilford for her ongoing support and kindness towards us, Chamber Choir girls. 

Rockquest

16 bands were selected from the Regionals and The Spoons and Third Take took to the stage once more for the Regional Final. 

Phoebe Jones’s experience, Senior Arts Council - 

Year 12 band, The Spoons, have been together since Year 8, back in 2022, when our journey began with Bandquest, where we placed 3rd in New Zealand. Since then, we have continued working together on the thing we love most: music. From 2024 to 2026, we entered Rockquest and reached the regional finals each year, achieving a 3rd-place finish in 2025. 

Rockquest has such a unique vibe that we love; everyone is there to do well while also having fun. There’s no such thing as embarrassment, only a shared love for music and performing. Our music blends pop and funk with elements of jazz, and an overall groovy vibe. Recently, we have also been experimenting with electronic samples, which led us to win the ‘Electronic Assist’ award at Rockquest this year.

Savena Fagilima’s experience, Senior Arts Council - Third Take is a year 13 band that formed at the start of this year, and Rockquest 2026 was our first competition entered together. We were so incredibly grateful and excited to be one of the top 16 bands out of the heats, and carry through to the regional finals, where we were privileged to perform alongside so many talented musicians. 

One of the best parts of Rockquest was having a judgement-free zone to showcase our two original songs to a live audience and receive feedback from the experienced judges. We performed our songs Winner, and Stained, which both explored feelings of changing relationships, heartbreak and moving on. Rockquest has been an amazing opportunity for our band, and we’d encourage anyone in music to get involved, step outside their comfort zone, and give it a go! Don’t wait till year thirteen!

Chamber Music NZ

SMC presented three chamber music groups for the Chamber Music NZ contest this year. MSG (Grace Kim and Summer Zhou), The Nightingales (Amanda Yang and Sophia Yang) and Les Demoiselles à la harpe (Bea Bentley, Faye Lichen and Caitlin Ching) all performed at The Piano in front of judges Rachel Fuller and Sarah Spence. 

The judges listened to 65 ensemble entries over a space of two days, and we were delighted to hear that MSG (Grace Kim and Summer Zhou, plus a flautist from Papanui High) were one of only eight groups selected for the District Recall Final. This was a huge achievement. At the event, they were also presented with the NZ double reed society award. 

Just when the girls thought they’d finished with the contest, they were invited to the Regional Final. This will take place on 27 June at The Piano. Congratulations to the girls and we wish them luck next week. 

Itinerant Concert 

There will be another opportunity to hear some of our talented musical students in the itinerant concert during the last week of term. Come and support them as they take to the stage on 2 July.

DANCE

Our senior dancers recently had the exciting opportunity to perform at the Tactix half-time show in a wonderful collaboration between St Margaret's College Senior Dancers and The Theatre Dance Academy Senior Performance Company.

The event was an amazing experience for everyone involved, providing the dancers with the chance to perform in front of a large crowd and be part of a professional sporting environment. The energy and enthusiasm displayed by all performers made for a memorable day.

A special thank you goes to our student choreographers, Alex Ellwood, Nova Gainsford, Jessica Parker and Annaliese McFarlane whose creativity, dedication, and leadership helped bring the performance to life. Their hard work behind the scenes played a significant role in the success of the event.

We are incredibly proud of all the dancers who represented SMC and TDA with professionalism, commitment, and passion. It was a privilege to be involved in such a fantastic community event, and we are grateful for the opportunity to take part. 

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Tech Challenges, Triumphs, and True Grit! 

Our St Margaret's College EPro8 teams recently took on some seriously tough tech challenges. The tasks were no walk in the park:

The Scissor Lift: Building a lift packed with electronics and sensors to make it stop perfectly at different levels.

The Mario Kart: Creating a kart that used sensors to trigger a conveyor belt, dropping bananas at just the right moments! 

The Solar Farm: Designing movable solar panels that could track and align perfectly with the sun.

The Maze Runner: Engineering a fan-powered car that kept a balloon continuously elevated while navigating a tricky maze—all while using sensors to avoid crashes!

How Our Teams went:

SMC No Problem (Year 12) This squad focused all their energy on the Scissor Lift. Even when they hit a few frustrating snags, their awesome resilience shone through. They refused to give up and absolutely clocked the entire challenge! 

SMC Last Minute Legends (Year 12) Living up to their epic name, this team tackled the Mario Kart challenge. The tricky electronic components definitely threw some curveballs their way, making for a super intense build.

Kelvin’s Apprentices (Year 9) Our Year 9 crew also jumped into the Mario Kart arena. They got off to a flying start and actually led the pack for a while! The electronics stage eventually caught up with them too—leading to four blown fuses—but what an incredible effort! 

The Big Takeaway: Despite the high-pressure environment and technical hurdles, all of these girls displayed true SMC grit, fantastic teamwork, and brilliant communication. We are so incredibly proud of how they supported each other and kept smiling through it all!

MIDDLE SCHOOL ARTS COMMITTEE

The Committee is busy preparing an event for the Juniors, which will take place next week. The Middle Schoolers will be putting together a small show, sharing their artistic interests and talents with their younger Sisters. There will be some interactive elements and lots of fun…a message for the Juniors:

Hi Juniors!

We are the Middle School Arts Committee, and this term, we are hosting a showcase performance especially for YOU. We will share all things we love about the ARTS.

We will be acting, dancing, playing music…and lots more. There may be some opportunities for you to join in too. Come and see our FUN show!

WHEN: Wednesday 24th June 

TIME: 12.30pm

WHERE: Black box theatre. 

WHAT TO BRING: Your friends!

OPPORTUNITIES

Mānawatia a Matariki Concert performed by Resonance Ensemble - contemporary NZ music. Featuring a collection of new and recent works, this inspiring programme reflects the diverse experiences of our time and showcases music that entertains, challenges and sparks conversation. The finale piece will be Tarantismo, composed by John Psathas.

The Piano, Sunday 28 June 3pm. 

The Piano, Armagh St,  is offering free student tickets (school aged or with student ID) to many events taking place over the next month:

Modi Deng | Sunday 21 June, 4.00pm (Solo piano recital)

Elouan Quartet with Bridget Douglas| Thursday 25 June, 7.00pm (NZSO string quartet with flute)

Resonance Ensemble | Sunday 28 June, 3.00pm Strictly Limited Tickets (Orchestra)

These free student tickets are not advertised on their website, so if you are interested, please email events@thepiano.nz. 

Check out our website for the full details.

CELEBRATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Tessa De Wit has been selected for the National Shakespeare Schools Production - a wonderful recognition for her comedic work in the joint scene with Christ's College of The Merry Wives of Windsor. Jess Erasmus has also been shortlisted. With only 25 slots from the festival, this is a great result.  Stacey Zhao gained 1st Place in the Portrait Competition for the Shakespeare competition. 

May 2026 Exam Entries Speech NZ results:

Sophie MacKenzie-Rickards Grade 6 Module 3 Comm Honours Plus

Audrey Sun Grade 6 S&D Module 3 Comm Honours Plus

Jolin Ye Grade 6 Module 3Clit Honours

Juliet Young Grade 7 Module 1 Honours Plus

Grace Millar Grade 7 Module 1 Honours Plus

Madeleine Coughlan, Advanced Associate Speech Board S&D Teaching Module 3 Pass

Well done to all students and tutor Dinie Bevers.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

Contemporary Music Concert - 24 June

Itinerant Concert #2 - 2 July