Three brothers write history in new New Zealand Youth Choir

For the first time in New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) history, three Auckland brothers – Benjamin (Tenor), Benedict (Bass) and Benett Tan (Tenor) – have all made it into the new NZYC.

Benjamin, 23, is doing a PhD in engineering at the University of Auckland. Benedict and Benett are 19-year old twins currently studying at different universities. While Benjamin and Benedict have sung in the last NZYC, it is Bennett’s first time with the award-winning national choir. Older brother Benjamin said they were all absolutely overjoyed to have been selected for the choir. “We grew up with a lot of support from Mum and Dad, and they always encouraged us to pursue our interests. By coincidence, we all enjoyed music! However, due to the age difference between me and the twins – of about 4 years – we haven’t had a lot of opportunity to be in the same groups.”

The last time they all sang together in the same choir was in 2010. Benjamin explains, “it was my last year of high school, and the twins’ first! So being able to sing together and travel with music is something we look forward to, even more so now that the twins are split up, with Benett studying in Auckland, and Benedict in Dunedin.”

Benjamin said their parents were quite proud, “especially because they really think that the experience NZYC provides is quite unique; it’s such a great opportunity to be able to pursue musical excellence but also gain so many other skills, like teamwork, communication, and learning about cultures. There’s a little bit of worry about the pressure on the wallet, but they’ve always believed that if we’re willing to commit, and if we’re really going to get something out of an experience, they’ll try their best to back us all the way.”

Benjamin can confirm that all three of them are excited about the music-making ahead. “It’s a real privilege singing with so much expertise in front of us – the choir has a world-class music team – and to share with and learn from those around us, and to do some repertoire that we just don’t get to do in our own centres.”

NZYC has been the springboard for some impressive singing careers for Jonathan Lemalu, Anna Leese, Madeleine Pierard, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, the Sol3Mio ensemble, but also provided ‘a life-changing experience’ for TV presenter Hilary Barry.

The present New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) was selected from auditions held nationwide in November 2016, and is extra-special because this cohort will mark the 40th anniversary of the New Zealand Youth Choir in 2019. Every three years, new auditions are held throughout the country to find around 50 of the best young singers between the ages of 18 and 25. Most are university students or working, so it’s a busy schedule, but the experiences are so worth it, especially the international tour at the end of the three-year term!

During the year, intensive workshops are held culminating in a concert or series of concerts that are toured around the country. In 2017, the New Zealand Youth Choir performs at venues in Kapiti Coast, Featherston, Wellington and on Waiheke Island.

The New Zealand Youth Choir has achieved considerable success since its formation in 1979. Performances in New Zealand and ten international tours including visits to the UK, Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, Singapore, Russia, the Republic of Korea and China have firmly established its reputation for consistency, energy and excellence. The Choir has won many prizes – during it’s 2016 European Landmark Tour, NZYC won the GRAND PRIX at the 2016 IFAS in the Czech Republic and the CHOIR OF THE WOLRD title in 1999 at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Wales. Music Director is the renowned choral conductor David Squire.

This new New Zealand Youth Choir can be seen and heard for the first time in Wellington on ANZAC weekend.

The New Zealand Youth Choir receives core funding from Creative New Zealand and New Zealand Community Trust, the principal sponsor is Infratil.

More information about the new NZYC members.

Ross Harris’s commemoration piece for World War 1 premiered at the Otago Festival of the Arts in 2014 and gained instant critical success. Requiem for the Fallen was subsequently performed at the New Zealand Festival in Wellington and the Auckland Arts Festival.

This work was described by reviewers as “Stunningly impressive and emotionally draining” and “… indeed a never-to-be-forgotten experience for all who attended”. For Karen ‘this is a New Zealand requiem, which honours lives lost and love shared; one that is etched deeply in my musical memory’.

Now you can relive this incredible experience – purchase the CD Requiem for the Fallen. Featuring Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, Horomona Horo and the New Zealand String Quartet.

RIP Peter Godfrey (1922-2017). Regarded as the godfather of choral music in New Zealand, Prof. Peter Godfrey passed away last night, but his legacy to choral music in NZ will live on. Principal Conductor (1979-1982) and then Musical Director (1983-1988) of the New Zealand Youth Choir, Peter established the musical foundations for our national choirs today. We will be eternally grateful …

A note from current Music Director, David Squire:

I met Prof in May 1985 during my first NZYC course in Christchurch, and he made an instant impression. He demanded the highest musical standards, but was still enamoured by the lighthearted moments in rehearsal, such as when Martin Snell put up his hand and asked if he could tell a joke. At the end of the course the singers were asked if they would like to stay behind for a choral conducting workshop, and I took advantage of this opportunity to have my first conducting lesson. When I got up to have a go, Prof described me as his “little meat chopper” because of the violent way I was beating time. However, he was encouraging and supportive, and really helped to set me on the path to conducting when I left school.

Whenever I met Prof over the ensuing years he was always keen to chat about how the choirs were going. Even when his mind was not as sharp as it had once been, he was still able to conduct some of his old favourites from memory, such as Finzi’s ‘My Spirit Sang All Day’ and the old NZYC standards ‘Kyrie’ and ‘Heilig’ by Mendelssohn.

Prof was integral to the development of our world-class New Zealand choral scene. He helped to foster the careers of many young conductors and singers, and was a champion of New Zealand composers. Those of us who had the privilege of working with him will treasure our memories of his musicianship, leadership and humanity. Arohanui, Prof.

A Decade of Infratil Sponsorship of Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand and the New Zealand Youth Choir

Infratil has committed to extend its sponsorship of the New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) to 2021.

“This sponsorship will give Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand certainty of funding and help their planning” said Infratil Chairman Mark Tume. ”It also means that Infratil will have been a supporter for a decade.”

The New Zealand Youth Choir has achieved iconic status in New Zealand’s choral sector after winning the ‘Choir of the World’ title in 1999 and several other major awards over the years including the recent win of the Grand Prix at IFAS 2016 at its last international tour to Europe. NZYC is comprised of 50 singers from around the country aged 18 to 25.

“Infratil’s continued support means a lot to our young singers and our organisation”, says Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Chair Andrea Gray. “It allows us to continue delivering a high level of excellence for the singers’ development, but also to work strategically with our colleagues in the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir.”

Infratil has also increased its funding to help Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand more actively support the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir, which trains 13-18 year old singers and, like the New Zealand Youth Choir and Voices New Zealand, perform overseas and in New Zealand at functions of national significance.

The New Zealand Youth Choir plays a vital part in our choral ‘eco system’, the choral pathway and a professional pathway as musicians or high achievers in other fields. In its nearly 40 year-long existence more than 1,000 young singers have been trained since 1979.

Prominent former New Zealand Youth Choir include internationally renowned singers like Jonathan Lemalu, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Anna Leese and the three Sol3Mio performers. Others go on to be music teachers from primary to tertiary level or contribute to their local communities by directing and conducting local community choirs. There are more than 21,000 registered choral singers, 230 chamber and community choirs and over 280 school choirs in New Zealand.

Andrea Gray said “This generous sponsorship will directly impact on over 100 young singers in the coming years, but will contribute to a wider and longer impact in the community.”

NZYC performs a ‘Hosianna’ for Infratil

The 50 singers of NZYC live, work, study and play in the cities and towns all around our fair country, but come together three times a year for intense week-long courses. At the start there is the overjoyed re-union of the singers, the catch up and updating on the latest gossip, or, as happened this February, weather delays, cancelled flights and the singers reaching their first destination, Rotorua, over an unexpected 30-hour time window. All the fine-tuned preparation of Ops Manager Emma Billings, expertise and skill developed over her 11 years with the national choirs, goes out of the window when Mother Nature gets in the way.

Thankfully, Music Director David Squire along with 23 singers who were travelling by bus from Auckland arrived as scheduled. The South Islanders, diverted via Hamilton and shuttled across to Rotorua, joined the Aucklanders with only a few hours delay. The smaller ensemble kicked off the course revisiting the new repertoire and enjoying some intense (as in ‘focussed’) sectional and one-on-one coaching with our resident Vocal Coach, Dr Morag Atchison.

The days are long, often 10 hours or more, the intensity apparent throughout the day, but as David keeps saying, having that time together is such a buzz that keeps everyone going. With the rest of the choir arriving on Monday, there was not much time to bring the sound of the choir back together. On Tuesday morning a bus took NZYC to Western Heights High School for a combined workshop with more than 40 singers from 4 schools. Here is where these Eureka moments occur, and young singers form their life-long love for singing. You have to understand that NZYC is a choir of extraordinary sound, a level of excellence that has seen them win prizes all around the world. Hearing this sound in action, sitting among the singers, is an experience similar to young rugby fans meeting their All Black idols. As a nation we fight well above our weight, like in rugby, yachting, equestrian and yes CHORAL SINGING!

More rehearsals in the afternoon and Wednesday morning before heading off to Te Puia, The Centre for New Zealand’s Maori Culture and geothermal wonders. It’s one of these moments to connect with tangata whenua and to understand who we are as New Zealanders, hear the stories and realise that as NZYC we play a significant role in retelling these stories and explaining our identity through music and waiata.

Sharing an egg boiled in a woven basket in the deepest water pool with our hosts from Te Arawa was a near spiritual experience that was celebrated with a rousing performance under the geyser and the hundreds of international tourists around the park. Our host farewelled us with the words: “Looking at NZYC, if this is the future of NZ, we are in good hands.”

The spirit of this visit elevated the senses of the singers for the next couple of days and poured out of the choir during their formal concert at Rotorua’s St Lukes’ Church.

On Friday NZYC travelled across to Hamilton for a free lakeside concert as part of the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival and onwards to Auckland that evening.

An experience of a different kind was in store for the choir the next day. For the first time in its near 40 year long history, the choir visited a prison. Why did we do this? We know what singing can do to people, audiences and participants; the health and well-being aspects, but also the feeling of bliss one can experience when listening to choral music. Well, not everyone finds their way to a choral concert, can’t afford it, doesn’t know anything about it, would never think of attending, or simply can’t. We didn’t know what to expect and how the choir’s music would be received, but we jumped through a lot of hoops determined to find out. And find out we did.

We entered a solemn space, full of serious looking prison guards, concrete walls, barbed-wired fences and security cameras everywhere. There was a hushed silence and respect for the unknown. Then we entered the gym and a group of women in jogging pants and different coloured sweatshirts were waiting for us. These twelve women were the ones that meet regularly to sing together at the prison and were to join the workshop part of our visit. A shy welcome from both parties, quickly realising, we speak the same language, we are from the same country, but presently living in different worlds.

Morag encouraged a small vocal warm-up routine into which the prisoners quickly found an entry point due to Morag’s wonderful, fun-filled style of getting people to sing and discover where their sounds ‘come from’. Deputy Music Director Michael Stewart then took over and introduced the spiritual ’I’m gonna sing’ to the group and after a short time choir and inmates mixed together into an ensemble and sang together as one.

Interrupted by an emergency call-out to the guards ‘something had happened at High’ (as in high security section), more of the female prison population joined the singers at the gym for a mini concert.

No one knew what to expect from each other, but the mighty force of NZYC flying into song hit the audience in a wave of aroha, humanity and joy – a mixture so potent, pure and honest, that not a single soul in the space was left untouched: inmates, guards, choir staff and singers. And as it only happens in a live performance the emotions of the audience bounced back to the choir and elevated the singing to a higher and higher sphere, culminating in a heart-breaking rendition of Waerenga-a-Hika that made the inmates burst into a haka to reflect their emotions and gratitude to this unconditional gift that had come their way from the choir.

The mood was very different when walking back through the high security gates. Walking through the metal detectors in single file, the choir again fell into song, I don’t know who started it. The stern faces off the prison guards evaporated, the power of the human spirit had prevailed.

Riding on the excitement of the morning, the choir joined The Graduate Choir NZ at Pitt St Methodist Church for a workshop and informal concert. This was a meeting of alumni and friends, colleagues and fellow choristers that renewed their appreciation for what an amazing treasure this New Zealand Youth Choir is.

The next course will see NZYC travel through Central Otago and Southland around ANZAC Day in April. The year will finish in September in Wellington, when NZYC will be joined by three local choirs for a big celebration of choral singing at the Opera House.

Since 1998, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir has performed, rehearsed and trained to deliver the most excellent choral singing in this country and on occasion, overseas. From a professionally run choir to a truly professional ensemble under Karen Grylls’ inspiring leadership, VOICES is turning 20 and now we have the opportunity to put the icing on the birthday cake – a professional European tour!

This is a dream tour and we hope you can help us make this dream come true.

Since 1998, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir has performed, rehearsed and trained to deliver the most excellent choral singing in this country and on occasion, overseas. From a professionally run choir to a truly professional ensemble under Karen Grylls’ inspiring leadership, VOICES is turning 20 and now we have the opportunity to put the icing on the birthday cake – a professional European tour!

This is a dream tour and we hope you can help us make this dream come true.

We wanted to find a tour that positions VOICES in the artistic esteem it deserves and we have succeeded! We have been invited to be part of a international choral concert series in London. Two music agencies love what we do and have arranged for concerts in Hamburg and Berlin, and in Aix-en-Provence in France. New Zealand fan and renowned conductor Simon Halsey has asked us to join his choir in Barcelona for a concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana, a venue that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We have also been invited by the people of Le Quesnoy in France to commemorate the centenary of the World War I Armistice Day together. Their village was liberated by New Zealand soldiers in the final two weeks of WWI. We commissioned a special work for this occasion: THE UNUSUAL SILENCE by Victoria Kelly. Inspired by letters from Kiwi soldiers and their families, this piece of music tells an important part of our history.

This tour is our chance to take VOICES to important international stages to tell our unique New Zealand stories and share our music.

Your donation will be invested 100% towards making this tour a reality. You can donate directly through our website and put your support behind your favourite tour destination below. All donations over $5 are tax deductible.

We are very, very grateful for your support.
Karen, Emma, Arne and VOICES New Zealand

Support:

VOICES in London
VOICES in Hamburg
VOICES in Berlin
VOICES in Le Quesnoy
VOICES in Aix-en-Provence
VOICES in Barcelona

This is an exciting opportunity for proven choir directors to lead the iconic New Zealand Secondary Student’s Choir. Established in 1986 NZSSC is a national ensemble working with 14-18 year old singers for a two-year long cycle that traditionally finishes with an international tour.

If you are experienced at working with young people, and passionate about a diverse choral repertoire including waiata from Aotearoa and the Pacific, we would love to hear from you.

NZSSC is about choral excellence and developing leadership capabilities and is a real champion of choral music in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Music Director is supported by a professional team and will benefit from a supportive partnership with the artistic team of the other national choirs, NZ Youth Choir and Voices New Zealand.

Interviews for this position will take place in August and may include working with the choir at its January course in Auckland to complete the application process.

The successful candidate will be appointed to lead the 2019-2020 choir cycle, which includes the timing of the World Symposium of Choral Music in Auckland in July 2020.

Application:

Please include cover letter, CV, and suggested repertoire of 5 songs from the existing library for the January course (please contact us for a library list) alongside any links to audio and video material of your previous conducting work and send to nzssc@xtra.co.nz .

For more info contact choirs@choirsnz.co.nz

Find out more about NZSSC

Applications close 2 August 2018

MD Job description