Be part of the world's first multinational Bollywood Choral Concert
We're assembling a choir for New Zealand Sings Bollywood, a landmark concert celebrating the golden hits of '90s Bollywood – bringing together an orchestra, a live band, vocal soloists and a 60-voice choir on one stage. It takes place on Saturday 27 February 2027 at the 2,200-seat Victory Centre in central Auckland.
If you'd like to be part of it, fill out the form below and hit 'Submit' by Wednesday 9 September. We'll be in touch to arrange a short, friendly audition. Details of event, rehearsals, repertoire and everything else further down the page.
THE DETAILS
Everything you need to know about the concert and about singing in the choir.
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New Zealand Sings Bollywood (NZSB) is a landmark concert, featuring the timeless songs of ’90s Bollywood performed by 90 artists: an orchestra, a live band, vocal soloists and a 60-voice choir. It will take place on Saturday 27 February 2027 at the 2200-seat Victory Centre, next to Auckland’s Victoria Park.
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Choir: Viva Voce (cond. John Rosser) + 35 other choral singers… including you?
Orchestra: St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra (cond. Michael Joel)
Band: ten professional players with extensive experience in Bollywood music
Soloists: international Bollywood singers
Presenter: Sounds of India Charitable Trust, a NZ organisation that brings communities together through music and culture
Director: Ashish Ramakrishnan, an Auckland-based singer and producer who has mounted several major Indian music events featuring top Bollywood artists
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NZSB will be New Zealand’s first-ever Bollywood concert to feature the choir and may well be the first multi-ethnic Bollywood choral concert in the world.
NZSB also celebrates 75 years of friendship between India and Aotearoa NZ.
Bollywood music is highly rhythmic, catchy and fun to sing.
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A colourful selection of Bollywood hits of the ‘golden’ 1990s era. The choir features in around 15 songs (more than 80% of the programme), but the extent of our contribution to each piece varies. We will be singing with scores, not by heart!
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All songs are predominantly in Hindi with occasional English words. The lyrics will be thoroughly coached in rehearsal and pronunciation guides for each piece will be available online.
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Your own concert blacks and bright, jewel-coloured sashes which will be supplied.
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Thursday nights in November and early December, with more frequent rehearsals from late January in the lead-up to the concert. A detailed schedule will be available at your audition.
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They will be very brief (5-7 minutes) and friendly. You’ll be asked to sing an unaccompanied song of your own choosing and do a couple of music tests.
Auditions are on Sunday 13, Monday 14 and Saturday 19 September at Pitt Street Methodist Church in Auckland CBD. Once you’ve submitted the form above, we’ll be in touch with you to organise a time.