St Paul’s College choir’s national anthem performance wins fans’ praise
Fans have praised an Auckland school choir for their stellar performance of the national anthem at the Bledisloe Cup clash.
St Paul’s College students sang both anthems before the All Blacks took on the Wallabies, with the home side winning 50-19 in the first of two tests in the long-running transtasman rivalry.
The performance drew international media attention, with ABC News calling it “stirring” and the Guardian praising the choir’s harmonies.
“The anthems are brilliant, led by beautiful harmonic arrangements from St Paul’s College choir,” the Guardian wrote.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a performance like that before, but I loved it.”
After the match, the All Blacks shared a clip of the choir singing God Defend New Zealand, describing it as a “special rendition”.
Their performance also drew praise on social media, including from a viewer in Australia who described it as “very special”.
“What a wonderful performance by the young men. Watching from Australia, to sing both national anthems very special. Well done”, they wrote.
Another commenter, a 73-year-old former St Paul’s student, said he was “immensely proud of the Ponsonby schoolboys.
“I’m a 73-year-old former St Paul’s old boy. I’ve just watched the boys sing the national anthem at Eden Park. And I am immensely proud of them. They were outstanding. Thank you so much!”
One viewer praised the moment the crowd joined in, writing: “It was so lovely, and to hear the whole stadium join in. We need more choirs in future...”
Others said they could “feel the Mauri” while watching the performance.
The school also shared photos of the students at the stadium earlier today, including a shot inside the All Blacks’ locker room.
It’s not the first time St Paul’s choir has impressed audiences, having previously enjoyed success on the competition stage.
Last year, it was awarded a Tūī at Cadenza, a choral festival held in Rotorua, under the direction of choir master Terence Maskell.
While the choir received glowing reviews, fans leaving the match faced disrupted travel plans, with trains on the East West Line delayed up to 45 minutes.