​​​​​​​Participation of students in the areas of performing and visual arts is very high at Taradale High School.

It includes the following:

• Biennial major drama productions.
• Biennial National Stage Challenge.
• Musical Groups including orchestra, rock bands, jazz band, several choirs, barbershop and chamber groups.
• Debating and Dance opportunities.
• Creative writing and poetry groups.

Big Sing

Each year over the course of two days, secondary schools from all over the East Coast compete in the BIG SING, which is a NZ-wide choir competition. This year we had five choirs entered - the largest number of any of the schools in the East Coast competition.

Each choir in the competition performs 3 contrasting items, one of which HAS to be by a NZ composer. Celtic Heart - the girls’ choir - won the prestigious award for The Best Performance of a New Zealand Composition, for the second year running. The composer of both songs, and Director of the Celtic Heart choir, is Mrs Jane Pierard, our very talented and inspirational Head of Music.

The song this year was called 'in the shadowed fern floor..' and the text is a combination of English and Maori. The words are from a poem by the NZ poet, Marty Smith, who happens to be a teacher on our staff, and from two Maori proverbs. The piece was accompanied superbly on piano by student Christopher Eldridge, with another student, Josh Jamieson whistling NZ bird sounds, and well-known HB flute soloist, Dana Parkhill on flute.