Port adds its voice to Armistice Centenary Roaring Chorus

Napier Port will add its voice to national Armistice Centenary commemorations this Sunday, as New Zealanders remember the moment that World War I ended.

Up and down the country at 11.00am this Sunday 11 November, people will come together to observe a two minute silence of remembrance. This silence will be broken by a ‘Roaring Chorus’ of joyful noise, echoing the celebrations of 100 years ago when people filled the streets in a spontaneous and jubilant celebration at news of the war’s end.

Napier Port will add its voice to these celebrations, with ships that are in port sounding their horns to join the Roaring Chorus. Port people working in the container terminal and other parts of the port are also invited to sound their horns for the Roaring Chorus. This also forms part of national maritime Roaring Chorus celebrations – Maritime New Zealand is inviting all ships in New Zealand waters to sound their horns, acknowledging the maritime aspects of WWI.

“Most of us can’t begin to imagine the huge sense of joy and relief that must have swept through the country, when the Armistice was announced,” says Napier Port Chief Executive, Todd Dawson. “The Roaring Chorus is a great way of really bringing that moment to life, and Napier Port is pleased to be joining with the maritime and wider community, to mark this occasion.”

Local commemorations include Napier citizens gathering at the Cenotaph in Memorial Square, where they will be invited to break the silence with ‘joyful noise’ and celebrations. New Zealand’s Roaring Chorus will include a fanfare played by the bells of the National War Memorial Carillon at 11.02am, during the official Armistice Centenary National Ceremony in Wellington. Horns are expected to sound from vessels that are in the Wellington harbour at the time, with harbour masters in other regions inviting vessels in their ports to join the Roaring Chorus.

Hawke’s Bay Harbourmaster Martin Moore echoed this invite. “If you’re a commercial or recreational vessel in Hawke’s Bay waters at 11.02am this Sunday, we invite you to join the Roaring Chorus with a few short blasts of the horn. This is an opportunity for our maritime community to come together, to commemorate a significant moment in our shared history.”