A month of international success!

30 Jul 2025

As well as the New Zealand Youth Choir's successes in the UK and Europe, three other NZ vocal groups garnered international accolades in June and July!

 

The Cloud Children’s Choir from Auckland represented New Zealand at the 2nd China International Youth Choir Festival held in Shenzhen, China. This prestigious event brought together 56 choirs from eight countries, including China, the United States, South Korea, the Philippines, and Indonesia and it has quickly become one of the most significant international choral festivals in Asia, with a strong emphasis on artistic excellence and cultural exchange.

The Cloud Children’s Choir were awarded Champions in the Children’s Choir category. Music Director Dr Changmuwei Wei reported “As part of this honour, we were invited to raise the New Zealand flag and lead the entire hall in singing “God Defend New Zealand” – a deeply moving moment for our young singers and a powerful expression of cultural pride.”

The Cloud Children’s Choir will be performing at The Kids Sing in Holy Trinity Cathedral on Wednesday 6 August.

Congratulations to Pacific Connection on their success at the 2025 International Barbershop Chorus Competition held in Denver, USA last month. They were 3rd Place Medalists in the Chorus finals - the highest place a New Zealand group has ever reached. Directed by NZCF Board member Henrietta Hunkin-Tagaloa and Chad Va, Pacific Connection performed the Samoan Hymn “Lo Ta Nu’u” and “I Am Moana Medley”. A comment on Facebook sums up the power of their performance: "I just watched the most amazing and entertaining International Chorus Contest performance ever. This group from New Zealand are beautiful people, in beautiful costumes, who performed both songs flawlessly, stole my heart and made me want to immediately go to New Zealand to their 'Island Home". How beautiful it must be and thank you Pacific Connection for a fantastic presentation."

Also, at the Barbershop Harmony Society competition in Denver, two Christchurch quartets did well in the NextGen Varsity Quartet Championship. Promenade was placed 3rd, receiving the Bronze Medal, and Centreplace were placed eighth. Congratulations to both!

Just a few weeks earlier, Wellington’s Signature Choir gave two sold-out performances of Mana Moana with the Sydney Symphony in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. The Signature Choir is led by founder and Music Director Fepulea’i Helen Tupai and co-director Jadrah Tupai. Helen will be one of the adjudicators at The Big Sing Finale later this month.

An online “Refection Piece” by Fale Tumanu, recognised the cultural significance of these performances. "For a long time, Pasefika people have had little to no meaningful cultural arts representation inside the Sydney Opera House. For many Pasefika, it was their first time ever stepping foot inside - not just as tourists snapping photos on its iconic steps, but as audience members and storytellers.”

The Sydney Arts Guide reviewer said “This Concert certainly told a story of how Islanders living here feel deeply about their culture. People sang in the aisles, waved flags from the balconies and created a light show across the space with their phone torches. ….. Mana Moana is based on faith in God, pride in culture and the resilience of the Pacific peoples. Nothing like this has ever happened in the Concert Hall before. Give us more of these uplifting, cross-cultural events!"

If you would like to hear the Signature Choir, their website has some great recordings and videos.

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