This is the Moment

"Make it easy to sing" — that was the blueprint for composer Billy Kristian's theme tune for the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. Over 11 days Kiwi athletes racked up 58 medals and this catchy anthem was on repeat play. The video is simple; Anne Audain sprints up One Tree Hill carrying the Games baton interspersed with scenes of past glory like runner Dick Tayler's gold in 1974. In an empty Mt Smart Stadium Chris Thompson (ex Manfred Mann's Earth Band) brings the passion. Debbie Harwood, Kim Willoughby and Peter Morgan sing back up, along with a Māori cultural group welcoming visitors with a simple "haere mai".

The song took on a life of its own...my mother was inundated with all of her friends saying how proud they were and how they loved the song. It was fantastic.

– Lead singer Chris Thompson recalls the pride Kiwis felt in the song, The Sunday Star-Times, 1 April 2018