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| NZ Secondary Schools Choir | |
|---|---|
| Name | NZ Secondary Schools Choir |
| Origin | New Zealand |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Genre | Choir music, Choral music |
NZ Secondary Schools Choir is a national youth choir that brings together top secondary-school singers from across New Zealand. Founded to provide high-level ensemble experience for adolescents, the choir has appeared at national festivals, toured internationally, and contributed to choral development alongside institutions and competitions. Its programmes link school music curricula, national examinations, and professional choral practices.
The ensemble was established in the late 20th century with advocacy from organisations such as the New Zealand Choral Federation, Music Council of New Zealand, and regional arts councils to supplement programmes run by bodies like the Ministry of Education (New Zealand), NZQA, and university departments (for example University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington). Early administrations involved collaborations with concert promoters from Auckland Town Hall, managers from New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and conductors connected to the New Zealand Choral Federation National Choirs. Key early projects included appearances at the New Zealand Festival of the Arts, joint concerts with ensembles from the Royal New Zealand Ballet and broadcasts on Radio New Zealand Concert.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the choir expanded its audition footprint to regions served by organisations such as Auckland Music Festival, Wellington Regional Music Festival, and the Christchurch City Council cultural programmes. Partnerships with tertiary music schools—New Zealand School of Music, Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music, and conservatoires—helped formalise training pathways. The ensemble's archives record exchanges with choirs from Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and United States delegations at events including the World Choir Games and the Interkultur circuit.
Membership selection uses regional nomination systems coordinated with provincial music educators and organisations such as Music Teachers New Zealand, NZ Federation of Concert Bands, and secondary schools affiliated with The Correspondence School (Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu). Auditions are typically held in major centres—Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton—with panels drawn from conductors associated with institutions like Auckland Choral, Wellington Voices, and conservatorium faculties at University of Otago.
Prospective members prepare repertoire spanning art song and folk arrangements, often referencing works by composers represented in national syllabuses such as Giacomo Puccini, Benjamin Britten, Arvo Pärt, and New Zealand composers including Douglas Lilburn, David Hamilton, Jenny McLeod, and Matariki Williams-linked performers. The audition process also aligns with pathways to ensembles like New Zealand Youth Choir, Cantoris Chamber Choir, and school-based honours choirs that feed national festivals.
The choir's repertoire ranges from Renaissance polyphony (settings by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Orlando di Lasso) to contemporary choral works by composers such as Eric Whitacre, Ola Gjeilo, Arvo Pärt, and New Zealand figures like Gill Higgins, John Ritchie, and Ross Harris. Concert programmes have featured sacred works (motets by Johann Sebastian Bach, masses by Ludwig van Beethoven), secular cycles (arrangements of Māori waiata and Pacific songs), and commissions from composers commissioned by organisations including Creative New Zealand and regional arts trusts.
Performances have occurred at venues such as Aotea Centre, Michael Fowler Centre, Isaac Theatre Royal, and international stages including Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, and festival halls at World Expo satellite events. Collaborative projects have involved ensembles like the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, guest soloists from conservatoires including Royal College of Music, and contemporary ensembles such as Aroha String Quartet.
Artistic leadership has included prominent choral directors and educators affiliated with institutions like Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, University of Auckland School of Music, and regional conservatories. Guest conductors and workshop leaders have been drawn from figures associated with Royal Northern College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and international choirs including the Tallinn Chamber Choir and King's College Choir.
Administrative oversight and artistic direction have been supported by boards and trusts similar to New Zealand Choral Federation, Creative New Zealand, local councils, and arts patrons connected to cultural trusts such as Auckland City Council Cultural Arts and philanthropic foundations.
The choir has undertaken tours to Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, United States, Canada, and Pacific nations, participating in events such as the World Choir Games, Eisteddfodau in Wales, and exchanges with youth choirs from Japan and South Korea. Tours often included performances at international festivals in cities like London, Berlin, Sydney, Los Angeles, and Vancouver and educational exchanges with university choirs from Oxford, Cambridge, and conservatoires in Europe.
International engagements have facilitated collaborations with ensembles linked to organisations such as Interkultur, Europa Cantat, and national choral federations, and have resulted in recordings and broadcast sessions for networks like BBC Radio 3 and ABC Classic.
The choir and its alumni have received recognition at competitions and by cultural institutions including awards from Creative New Zealand, prizes at the World Choir Games, and honours from tertiary institutions such as University of Auckland and University of Otago. Individual members have progressed to national ensembles like New Zealand Youth Choir and professional careers with opera companies such as New Zealand Opera and orchestras including the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
Accolades have also come from festival juries at events like the National Secondary Schools Choir Festival and international adjudications at competitions affiliated with Interkultur and the European Choral Association.
Educational work includes workshops in partnership with organisations such as Music Education New Zealand Trust, school tours to regions served by boards of trustees and colleges, and choral clinics led in collaboration with conservatoires like Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music. Outreach initiatives have promoted indigenous music through programmes with Māori cultural groups and links to institutions like Te Puni Kōkiri and local marae.
The choir's alumni network supports mentoring for students engaged with youth ensembles, scholarship programmes administered by trusts and foundations, and continuing professional development through masterclasses at institutions such as Royal College of Music and national festivals.
Category:New Zealand choirs