Greetings from your first time Convention Hosts in Te Papaioea - Palmerston North.
April 2026 - updated 20 April 2026
We are working hard to make sure everything is in place and you all have a great time in Palmerston North/Papioea in May! We hope you’ve not had your travel plans changed too drastically in response to the fuel difficulties.
This year we have 13 quartets and 10 choruses. We’re also excited to have a quartet and girls’ choir from local high schools to sing for us while the Judges are tabulating results.
Schedule
Thursday 14 May
- 2.30pm – Registration Desk opens - One designated person from each chorus can pick up their choruses’ packs from 2.30pm
- 3.00pm - Sound and Lighting Checks
- 4.00pm – Quartet and Chorus Briefing
- 5.00pm - The Regional Annual Members Meeting (RAMM)
Friday 15 May
- 8.45am – STAR rehearsal
- 10.00am - Music in the Morning
- 12.20pm – Quartet Competition
- 5.30pm – Massed Sing
Saturday 16 May
- 9.20am – STAR rehearsal
- 12.20pm - Chorus Competition
- 8.00pm - Afterglow
Sunday 17 May
- Education Classes (morning)
Official Panel
- Jana Gutenson – Panel Chair and Music Judge
- Mary Rhea – Sound Judge
- Lisa Hunszinger – Expression Judge
- Jennifer Williams - Visual Communication Judge
Convention Officials
- Stephanie Greaney - CRC (Chair of Regional Convention)
- Jacqui Binnie - CC (Competition Coordinator)
- Marilyn Bishop - Registrar
- Helen Linssen - OPL (Official Panel Liaison)
- Jo Maxwell - Design
- Leigh Agnew - RMT Finance Co-ordinator
- Shelley Bascand - RMT Events Co-ordinator
- Leanne Wheeler - RMT Education Co-ordinator
Traffic Patterns
Below are links to videos of the Quartet and Chorus traffic patterns walk throughs. The buses will go to King Street which is at the back of The Regent. Quartet members will enter through a door on King Street and Chorus members will walk down the covered alleyway to a side door.
Quartet Traffic pattern walk through Chorus Traffic Pattern walk through
We have organised an alternative traffic pattern for people who can’t manage all the stairs in both the traffic patterns. A lift will take chorus members to the Regency Room for warmups and then a volunteer will escort them to the stage which is an alternative way to the rest of the chorus. Later a volunteer will escort those people from the stage, back into the auditorium. Quartet members who need to avoid stairs will use smaller rooms that are on the same level as the stage.
Choruses will come onto the stage from the right and exit to the left. Quartets will enter from, and exit to the, right.
- The stage width is 12.9m wide
- The measurement from the front of the stage to the centre of the risers is 2.92m with the distance between the front of stage and the outside riser downstage edge being 1.52m.
Traffic Pattern Bags
Please think of our volunteers when you bring things with you to the Chorus Competition. The bags used to keep your things safe, are meant only for your coats and a small bag big enough to hold small things like lipstick. The volunteers in Christchurch could hardly move the bags last year as they held much heavier things such as spare shoes, handbags and mini back packs. We want to make things easier for our wonderful volunteers.
Rehearsal Schedule
Sound Check
The sound check starts at 3pm. We will start with the quartet sound check, followed by chorus. The songs for the chorus sound check are Something in the Water and How We Sang today.
Music in the Morning - From Warm-Up to Wow!
Friday 15 May 10.00am - 11.30am
A fun, feel-good session to kick off our contest weekend with a bit of sunshine for our bodies, voices and minds with Kate Sinclair (Master Director 600 Waikato Rivertones, Regional Faculty) and Jo Maxwell (Faultline Chorus, Regional Faculty).
With interactive exercises, rounds, tags and games, we’ll explore ways of engaging our voices, bodies and minds and build connection and energy to take you from warm-up to wow. The session will finish with a couple of massed songs before the contest session.
Massed Sing
The Massed Sing is planned to be held in the Square which is at the end of Broadway and is a central hub that has been a vital part of the city's identity since its inception in the 1870s. We will use a set of steps near the clock tower. If it is too wet or cold we will have our massed sing in The Regent.
Quartet Goodwill Bags
Quartet Goodwill Bags, kindly provided by Measured 4 Sound Quartet, will once again be available at this year’s convention for all competing quartets. They’re a fun way for fellow quartets, chorus members, friends, and supporters to share a little pre-contest cheer. Pop in a good-luck card, a homemade treat, a small gift, or a cheerful note to brighten a quartet’s day before they head to the contest stage. It’s all part of the fun of convention—sharing a laugh, spreading a little kindness, and letting our competing quartets know we’re thinking of them. Be sure to stop by, add a little something, and join in!
The Afterglow
The theme this year is Regent’s Rural Rave. If you have bought a ticket for the Afterglow you will have a rural themed sticker on your Lanyard Pouch that you can show at the door. We will also have a list of names we can check if you forget your Lanyard. However, in that circumstance you will need to show proof of identity.
This year we have made time for larger groups or whole choruses to sing together. We have a large set of stairs going from the foyer to the Mezzanine Floor we will use for any larger group to sing something together. We want this to be fun without expecting people to rehearse something special.
The Afterglow starts at 8.00pm. We will stop the DJ for half an hour at 8.30pm until 9.00pm to have “On the Stairs Singing”. The DJ will then start again and Quarteting will then begin in the Regency Room. We have also allocated the Green Room as a space for people who want to catch up with friends and chat in a quieter space.
Parking Near the Regent
The Downtown Carpark, 491 Main Street Palmerston North, has a lift that takes you right to Broadway Avenue almost opposite the Entrance to The Regent. The entrance on Main Street is only one block away and runs parallel to Broadway.
Vocalzone and other supporters
We have Vocalzone available again at Convention this year, with each pack selling for $8 per pack (or two for $15) which is a great saving for a product that usually retails up to $13.
We are also grateful to the Palmerston North City Council who gave us a grant of $2500 to assist with the Convention costs. The Council is also providing us with booklets showing all the eateries in Palmerston North. Fifty of these will be available at the Registration desk.
Photographs
This year Quartet photographs will be taken backstage, immediately after each performance.
We also have a ‘Roving Photographer’ taking behind-the-scenes photos mostly on Thursday and Friday. We will have dot stickers you can get from reception if you would prefer not to be in any of the behind-the-scenes photos.
Please remember people are not permitted to take photos in the auditorium during the contest sessions.
STAR Chorus
Rehearsal times for the STAR Chorus are Friday 8.45am - 9.45am and Saturday 9.20am - 10.30am
Yellow and Orange colours are required for costumes for the Star Chorus. If members don’t have full outfits in those colours, they can add blue denim, but no black please. Shoes should be comfortable and go with the outfit (such as white sneakers). Please avoid black shoes.
Education Classes
Education classes will be held at the Copthorne Hotel on Sunday morning. If you can’t remember which class you selected, go to the Confirmation of Order you received by email when you booked your tickets and select “Manage Order”. Then you will be able to see your choices.
Tickets
Friends, family and others will soon be able to purchase tickets for the Quartet and Chorus Competitions through Ticketek, or from the Regent on Broadway beforehand or on the day of the competition.
Registration still open
Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/harmony-manawatu.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon
