NZ Youth Choir: LIVE in Wellington
April 2025
Repertoire
3pm Matinee:
Beata Virgo - David Griffiths
He Tamaiti ō te Ao Tukupū - Takerei Komene
Kyrie from Cantus Missae, Op.109 - Josef Rheinberger
The Battle of Jericho - Trad. spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan
Hymne au Soleil - Lili Boulanger
They say it’s wonderful - Irving Berlin, arr. Steve Zegree
The Passing of the Year - Jonathan Dove
Jonathan Dove is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music, and his writing for choral forces is charged with intensity and beauty. The Passing of the Year is dedicated to the memory of his mother and sets seven texts with moving directness and a beguiling sense of the seasons’ passing.
Though NZYC will be performing selected movements across their international tour - this concert is the only time the choir will be singing the work in its entirety.
short interval
Gaudeamus Omnes - Marek Raczyński
Das ist meine Freude - JL Bach
7:30pm Evening concert with Aotearoa Academy Choir:
New Zealand Youth Choir
*joined by the Academy Choir
Ko ngā waka ēnei - Traditional moteatea*
Kua Rongo - Te Whānau Wehi*
Kyrie from Cantus Missae, Op.109 - Josef Rheinberger
In Youth is Pleasure - Herbert Howells
- Conducted by Deputy MD Michael Stewart
Os Justi - Anton Bruckner
- Conducted by CANZ assistant conductor Jono Palmer
Ururangi - Anthony Ritchie
How do you keep the music playing? - Michel Legrand, arr. Alexander L’Estrange
Cocks Crow & There’s a Time from Childhood - Jenny McLeod
Short Interval
Aotearoa Academy Choir
Shore - Iain Grandaige
Fa Shu Ha - Yu-Shan Tsai
Fire Dance of Luna - Darius Lim
New Zealand Youth Choir
The Battle of Jericho - Trad. spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan
Ua Fetausunu’i Ao - Trad. Samoan, arr. Igelese Ete
Isa Isa Vulagi Lasa Dina - Trad. Fijian/Tongan, arr. Siliva Gaugatao
Aotearoa - Tuirina Wehi
About the choir
The New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) has achieved considerable success since its formation in 1979. Performances in New Zealand and thirteen international tours including visits to the UK, Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, Singapore, Russia, the Republic of Korea, China and the Pacific Islands have firmly established its reputation for consistency, energy and excellence. The Choir is comprised of around fifty 18 to 25-year-old singers and operates on a 3-year audition cycle.
Artistic Staff
DAVID SQUIRE is one of New Zealand’s most prominent conductors. A founding member and current chair of the NZ Association of Choral Directors, he is also a national conducting advisor and tutor, and a Board member for the NZ Choral Federation.
Graduating from the University of Auckland with a Master of Music degree with first class honours, David has sung with many top choirs in New Zealand, including the Auckland Dorian Choir, Auckland Chamber Choir and NZYC. He was also a founding member of Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and the V8 Vocal Ensemble.
David has taught music in secondary schools for 30 years, directing choirs, orchestras and bands, including many groups that have won local, national and international awards. David also takes workshops and professional development courses throughout the country. David is often involved in session and recording work, including a tour with George Benson as backing vocalist in 2010. He was the choral adjudicator and clinician at the Rhapsody Rotorua festival for four years.
In 2011 he directed training workshops for choirs singing the anthems at the Rugby World Cup, and then conducted anthem choirs at 7 matches. In 2017 he was the guest conductor for the mixed honour choir at the AMIS Choral Festival in Abu Dhabi. Since 2018 he has been the choral director of the annual ISCMS festival in China. In 2019 he served on the jury for the 1st Asia Choral Grand Prix in Manila, Philippines.
In 2011 he was awarded a New Zealander of the Year Local Heroes Medal for services to music education.
MICHAEL STEWART is one New Zealand’s leading choral conductors and organists. He is Organist and Director of Music at the Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul, Deputy Music Director of the New Zealand Youth Choir, and Music Director of acclaimed early music choir The Tudor Consort. Michael holds a Bachelor of Music degree with First Class Honours from the University of Canterbury and a Master of Music degree from McGill University. He has recorded for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and is a frequent contributor to Radio New Zealand Concert. Since becoming Music Director of The Tudor Consort in 2007, Michael has led critically-acclaimed performances of Handel’s Messiah, Israel in Egypt and J S Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, and has prepared them for several performances of Handel’s Messiah with the NZSO. In 2021 Michael prepared Voices New Zealand for a performance of Brahms’ Schicksalslied. He is a past member of both the New Zealand Youth Choir and Voices New Zealand.
MORAG ATCHISON has firmly established herself as one of New Zealand’s leading sopranos and pedagogues. She studied at the University of Auckland and the Royal Academy of Music (London), and was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier and Royal Over-Seas League Competitions. She has performed many operatic roles including Lady-in-waiting, Macbeth; Berta, The Barber of Seville; First Lady, Magic Flute (NZ Opera); Helmwige, Die Walküre; Blumenmädchen, Parsifal (NZSO ); Inez, Il Trovatore; Fourth Maid, Elektra (APO); Annina, La Traviata (English Touring Opera) and Sandrina, La Finta Giardiniera (Opera Unleashed, Hamilton Festival). Morag’s concert engagements include performances of the Britten War Requiem (CSO); Mozart Requiem (Voices NZ and Wellington Sinfonia); Handel’s Messiah (VNZ and WS; Auckland Choral); Missa Pacifica, David Hamilton, world premiere (Auckland Choral); Verdi Requiem (Bach Musica); Tippett A Child of our Time (NZYC and NZSO-NYO); and Beethoven Ah! Perfido (APO and Manukau Symphony). In 2018 Morag travelled to England, France, Germany, and Spain as part of Voices New Zealand’s European tour and was a soloist on the soundtrack for the major motion-picture Mortal Engines.
Morag is a Senior Lecturer in Voice at the University of Auckland, is a vocal tutor the Auckland Chamber Choir, and since 2008 has been a vocal consultant for the acclaimed New Zealand Youth Choir. In 2013 Morag was awarded a doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Auckland, the first DMA in vocal studies from a New Zealand University and in 2019 was elected as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).
History of the choir
1979: The ‘National Youth Choir’ of New Zealand is founded by Guy Jansen. As Music Director he invites Peter Godfrey as Guest Conductor.
1982: NYC performs at Wembley with Kiri Te Kanawa during their first international tour.
1983: Prof Peter Godfrey is appointed Music Director.
1988: During the 2nd international tour to Europe NYC wins Best Choir at the International Festival of Youth and Music in Vienna and two second places at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
1989: Karen Grylls became Music Director.
1999 NYC celebrates its 20th anniversary in Wellington with a concert with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
One of the Choir’s greatest achievements was winning the ‘Choir of the World’ title at the International Music Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales. A week later they won the ‘Grand Prix Slovakia’. The tour also included Ireland, the Czech Republic, Vienna, London and Singapore.
2001: Now renamed New Zealand Youth Choir, the Choir undertook an international tour to Texas, USA.
2004: On their tour of Europe, the NZYC achieved highest marks in several categories at the 43rd Int. Choral Competition in Gorizia, Italy. The Choir recorded a new CD, Gaude, which was released to critical acclaim in June.
2005: Gaude was nominated as finalist in the Best Classical Album category at the 2005 NZ Music Awards.
2007: NZYC returned from an award-winning tour through Canada, the UK and Spain, having taken podium placings at two International Choral Competitions in Llangollen, Wales and Cantonigros, Spain, including winning the Mixed Choir category.
2009: was NZYC’s 30th Anniversary. The Choir toured to Invercargill, Gore, Dunedin, Kapiti, Palmerston, Wellington, Warkworth and Auckland, reinforcing its truly national nature.
2010: On its international NZYC performs at the World Expo in Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul, Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney.
2011: David Squire became Music Director.
2013: At the end of 2013 the Choir undertook a much acclaimed three-week tour of the USA and Canada performing in Los Angeles, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Boston, New York and Washington.
2014: In February NZYC performed in the NZ Festival in Wellington – ‘…this concert was a timely reminder of the quality of choral singing we have in this country.’ Dominion Post
2016: During its 2016 European Landmark Tour, NZYC won the GRAND PRIX at the 2016 IFAS in Pardubice Czech Republic and also all four categories it competed in.
2019: 40th anniversary celebrations including joint anniversary concert with National Youth Orchestra, anniversary concert with Voices New Zealand. Release of double CD 'Hokorua' – 40 years of NZYC.
Pacific Tour to Fiji, Tonga, Niue, New Caledonia and Sydney.
2020: This NZYC starts its three-year cycle
NZYC sings at the Prime Minister’s reception at the state opening of parliament.
2021: Tour of the north and south of NZ, including Whangārei and Greymouth.
2022: Performances with Eric Whitacre, Carmina Burana with the other national choirs & concerts around the country.
Tour of Australia.
THANK YOU
Tour Support
NZYC Section Sponsors
FEHL CHARITABLE TRUST
