Southern Stars Tour Brings New Zealand’s Top Young Singers To The South Island

New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir is coming to Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch, Wānaka and Queenstown

The internationally awarded national choir for secondary school singers is back in the South Island for the first time since 2006! Bringing their “infectious joy for music-making”, the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir (NZSSC) will present a wide range of music from classical choral to gospel, jazz, modern, and music from New Zealand and the Pacific. You will hear songs from American ‘choral rock star’ Eric Whitacre, Latvia’s Ēriks Ešenvalds, 17th century Italian composer Antonio Lotti, New Zealand works by David N. Childs and a waiata with actions from Christchurch’s Puanaki Whanua. Another crowd favourite is the toe-tapping version of Toto’s Africa!

The choir of 53 singers, selected at nationwide auditions to join the NZSSC for a two-year cycle, always has a healthy contingent of South Island singers. This year that includes Charle Rainey of Nelson College. Charle is very excited to perform in his own town and recommends you all come along! “The repertoire that we sing in this choir is so diverse and fresh. It’s not that choral music you’d expect. The choir is one of the best sounding in Aotearoa, and we have so much fun performing the pieces. Anyone who sings in choirs or just for fun as a hobby should come and hear us perform, especially school kids as the performance could encourage them to audition for the choir. I’m really looking forward to performing in Nelson with this fantastic choir, and I really hope other young Nelsonians come to listen.”

Music Director Sue Densem, of Christchurch, has been with the NZSSC since 2019 through the “covid years” and has therefore faced a lot of disruption, including two cancelled international tours. Pre-Covid, NZSSC had plans to tour to Tasmania this year but this has been swapped for a ‘mainland’ tour instead. The Southern Stars Tour will see NZSSC stage ticketed concerts in Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch and Wānaka, with casual performances at Mt Cook and Queenstown.

“The audience was enthralled and totally absorbed in everything they heard and saw, from start to finish. … Little wonder that the audience was on its feet at the end in a prolonged standing ovation in appreciation of a superb concert where all the singers continually projected the pleasure they gained from singing and sharing this with an appreciative audience.” – Hawke’s Bay Today

Bring the whole family to hear this exceptional, uplifting youth choir – under 12s are free, and concessions available.

Dates:

Nelson Centre of Music Arts, Monday July 11, 5.30pm

Nativity Church, 76 Alfred Street, Blenheim, Tuesday July 12, 7.30pm

St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, 373 Manchester Street, Christchurch, 14 July, 7:30pm

Lake Wānaka Centre, 89 Ardmore Street, Wānaka, Sunday July 17, 4.00pm

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