As the curtain rises on NZ Music Month, Baycourt Community & Arts Centre will transform into a musical battlefield as two choirs go to war.

Following its wildly popular and sell-out 2023 Tauranga Arts Festival appearance, Baycourt is excited to welcome back Tuatara Collective’s unmissable social sing-along experience Battle Chorus, which is taking place in the Whare Matarau / X Space on Thursday, May 9, 6.30pm.

Under the guidance of Aotearoa musical heavyweights Jason Te Mete and Rutene Spooner, the audience will form two teams, learn some choruses, and then battle it out with an epic medley of the Greatest Hits of All Time.

“Battle Chorus was a standout hit at the Tauranga Arts Festival last year,” says Kaiwhakahaere Hinonga Baycourt / Baycourt Manager Reena Snook, “there was a lot of laughter, everyone sung their hearts out and really raised the roof. It’s great to be offering another chance for people to duke it out at this truly one-of-a-kind experience.”

Tuatara Collective’s Kaiwhakahaere / Manager Jason Te Mete stressed that absolutely zero singing experience is necessary. All you need is a love and passion for music and a willingness to come together with other likeminded individuals in collective harmony – but a little bit of friendly rivalry doesn’t hurt.

On the night battlers will receive a secret QR code, or something similar, to access their teams’ song lyrics on their personal devices. But Te Mete wouldn’t budge and share what songs battlers would be singing.

“That’s top secret, you’ll have to find out on the night! This version of Battle Chorus features some of the ‘Greatest Hits of All Time’, so think Elvis, The Beatles, Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi and many more.”

“We’re excited to bring another battle to Tauranga and collaborate with the team at Baycourt. Singing is good for your health, and singing together is good for the soul.”

Battle Chorus not only offers everyone an amazing night of entertainment, it also unites the community through a shared creative experience. 

Snook says now more than ever we need a little infectious joy in our lives, and Battle Chorus is just the ticket. There’s absolutely no need to feel FOMU (fear of mucking up), but she couldn’t guarantee you won’t feel FOMO (fear of missing out) if you lose out on joining this “sweet-as singalong”.

“Come on down to Baycourt, enjoy a drink on us, join forces with other music lovers and see which choir can take out the 2024 Battle Chorus title!”