New Year's Honours recognition
30 Jan 2026
This year’s New Years Honours recognised two inspirational stalwarts in the choral community. Congratulations to Terence Maskell in Auckland and Jill Kerr in Christchurch for being awarded an MNZM – Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Both Terence and Jill have been committed to music education and choral music for many years.
Terence’s service to music, education, and youth development in Aotearoa spans over five decades and represents a lifetime of extraordinary dedication to nurturing the musical, academic, and personal growth of young New Zealanders. His secondary school choirs have been selected for The Big Sing Finale for many years. All have displayed technical and musical prowess along with a clear love of singing together. His Graduate Choir has become one of the pre-eminent choral groups in Auckland, regularly performing with the Auckland Philharmonia.
Jill held Director of Music positions at several Christchurch schools, shaping generations of young musicians and fostering a deep appreciation for choral and instrumental performance. Her influence extended well beyond the classroom, inspiring countless students to pursue music professionally, or to remain lifelong participants in the arts. Jill’s contribution to church music is equally distinguished. She has held senior leadership roles at Christchurch Cathedral and is currently the conductor of the Christchurch Cathedral Singers.
Their achievements are listed in the citations below.
MASKELL, Mr Terence Ronald - For services to choral music
Mr Terence Maskell is well regarded for his contributions to choral music in Auckland and nationally.
In 2001 Mr Maskell established The Graduate Choir New Zealand, one of the country’s foremost choirs, and has been its conductor and artistic director since inception. The Graduate Choir New Zealand has performed nationally and internationally to high acclaim, winning the 2009 Classic Sing Grand Prix trophy for the most outstanding choir. Under his leadership, The Graduate Choir New Zealand has performed regularly with the Auckland Philharmonia, particularly in the Christmas concerts. He has worked as conductor and artistic director of several Auckland school choirs including The Centennial Choir at Mount Albert Grammar School, St Paul’s College, One Tree Hill College, King’s College, Auckland Grammar, and Maclean’s College, consistently winning national awards with these groups. He was conductor of the Auckland Youth Choir from 1992 to 2001 and worked as the Director of Music at Aorere College from 1981 to 2001. While at Aorere College, he taught Pene and Amitai Pati, who later formed the internationally acclaimed opera trio Sol3 Mio. Mr Maskell's choirs have performed regularly at national events, on television and radio, and have toured nationally and internationally.
KERR, Miss Jillian Anne (Jill) - For services to choral music and music education
Miss Jill Kerr has dedicated more than 50 years to music education and New Zealand’s choral tradition.
Miss Kerr was Director of Music at St Margaret’s College for 40 years from 1968, maintaining educational programmes that significantly improved student engagement and outcomes. She was on the Board of the College from 1991 to 2007, taught at The Cathedral Grammar School from 2012 to 2018, and at St Michael’s Church School since 2019. She has held musical leadership roles at St Michael’s Church and sang with the Royal Christchurch Musical Society’s choir for 28 years. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree and diplomas from Trinity College of London and The Royal Schools of Music. She is one of only three New Zealanders to hold the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Certificate in Church Music. In 1998 she was elected an Honorary Member of the United Kingdom-based Guild of Church Musicians. She is an Associate of the Institute of the Registered Music Teachers of New Zealand and has been an affiliate of the Royal Schools of Church Music all her working life. In 2014 she was appointed the first female Precentor of Christchurch Cathedral and in 2017 she was invited to Oxford University as a visiting Precentor. Miss Kerr became conductor of the Christchurch Cathedral Singers in 2019.