NZSSC’s 40th anniversary tour

5 Jun 2026

Next month the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir celebrates 40 years, with an anniversary concert and their 17th international tour, taking them to two prestigious choral festivals in Singapore and Hong Kong.

In 1966 the National Advisor on School Music, William Walden-Mills, held a holiday choral course for 50 secondary students. It was a great success and became a regular fixture until 1973. When Guy Jansen re-started the courses in 1975, he saw that there was no structure for the on-going development of the singers, who were hungry for more singing at a high level. He formed the New Zealand Youth Choir in 1979 to fill this need and then went to the United States for his own study. When he returned in 1985 with a doctorate, he could see another need – “Having two holiday courses per year for secondary school students was fine, but there was little continuity between them, and the high levels of performance deserved greater public recognition. Without a clear, continuing structure, a secondary students’ combined choir would never be invited to represent the sector. So a ‘New Zealand Secondary Students Choir’ was planned for 1986.”("Sing New Zealand" by Guy Jansen)

In August 1986, 92 students gathered for a week-long course with Roger Stevenson leading rehearsals. The concert held at Wellington’s Cathedral of St Paul was impressive. The first half was conducted by Roger Stevenson and choir members Nicola Jansen and Igelese Ete, while the second half was a performance of the Fauré Requiem, with Janet Gibbs (organ), the strings of Schola Musica and Guy Jansen conducting.

Roger Stevenson was appointed the Music Director of NZSSC in 1987 and he firmly established it as a national asset before his retirement from the role in 2000. There are some lovely photos and reminiscences  in an interview with Roger Stevenson on the NZSSC website.

From 1988 the choir worked on a two-year cycle and there was the expectation that they would tour internationally in the second year. There is a full choir history on the NZSSC website, detailing international tours and competition wins. 

Each of the subsequent Music Directors has made a strong mark on the choir and its standing both in New Zealand and overseas. Elise Bradley (2001-06), Robert Wiremu (2007-08), Andrew Withington (2008-18) and Susan Densem (2019 - ) have all added something special to the choir’s sound and repertoire. They have also surrounded themselves with extremely strong musical teams of accompanists and vocal coaches.

Structurally, NZSSC started its life within the Ministry of Education. It became a charitable trust in the 1997 and eligible for Creative NZ funding. Like so many artistic organisations, NZSSC was managed and supported by part-time administrators, dedicated volunteer trustees and a team of hard-working volunteer staff. Lois Coplon managed the choir from 1996 to 2009 from an office at her home. Anna Bowron took over in 2009 and after a couple of years took a desk in the office of Choirs Aotearoa. An interview with Anna Bowron about her experiences on the choir’s international tours makes good reading. 

Because the NZSSC singers are aged from 13 to 18, duty of care is important, and a reliable team of  wellbeing staff has been crucial. One of those people was Carole Randall (well known to NZCF members) who was the Wellbeing and Course Logistics Manager from 2011 to 2024.

There had always been a level of information sharing and cooperation between NZSSC and the NZ Youth Choir/Choirs Aotearoa. With Anna Bowron sharing an office, communication deepened, and after a lot of discussion and consultation, the boards decided to amalgamate. From 1 January 2019, NZSSC joined the NZYC and Voices NZ, and Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand(CANZ) became the home of the three national choirs. NZSSC Chair Linda Webb and Deputy Chair Amanda Barclay (an NZSSC alumna) were key in this transition.

“NZSSC, in particular, will benefit from the merger by having access to the expertise and shared resources that Choirs Aotearoa already provides its other two national choirs,” said Linda Webb, at the time.

All these people have provided the environment within which the young singers have been able to flourish. The list of alumni is impressive.

• Composer, conductor and educator Igelese Ete was a foundation member in 1986.
• International opera and orchestral conductor Tecwyn Evans (1987-88) has said, “I was hugely inspired by Roger Stevenson, his love for his singers, his flair for choral sound”.
• Simon O’Neill (1988-89) has written “I’m often asked how I got started in my operatic singing career. The answer is NZSSC—it gave me my love of singing, it thrust me into wanting to develop my instrument to the highest level. To be surrounded by like-minded young adults, all of whom I held in the highest respect, and make great music, it’s the bee’s knees! I had always been into music—piano, brass, rock, jazz, musicals, but the choir opened the door to the classical repertoire of singing.”
• Former member of the Kings Singers Chris Bruerton (2001-2) said “NZSSC built on the foundation that I had gained from being a Cathedral chorister, teaching me about a vast amount of repertoire from many more languages than I’d encountered before. The introduction of Kapa Haka was particularly special and it provided the launch-pad for singing in the National Youth Choir. I simply wouldn’t have had the opportunity to join the touring choir in 2004 had I not been in the NZSSC.”
• Opera singer Amelia Berry (2005-6) on what skills she gained: “The number one skill was discipline, which is of huge importance in an operatic career (or any career, really!) …. Learning to sing as part of an ensemble was another important skill. In opera there is so much ensemble singing and NZSSC taught me to be musically accurate, how to listen to the other singers around me and also how to watch and follow a conductor. I had my first introduction to singing in foreign languages and I’m also grateful for the mental and physical stamina I acquired after long days of rehearsal. I don’t sing in choirs anymore but I use all of these skills in opera.”

Other familiar names in the alumni list are Robert Wiremu, who went on to be an interim Director; conductors Jayne Tankersley, Rowan Johnston, Isaac Stone and Charlotte Murray; and opera singers Jonathan Lemalu, Anna Leese, and sisters Anna and Madeleine Pierard, to name just a few.

NZSSC will mark their 40 years with an Anniversary Concert in Auckland on 4 July followed by their 17^th international tour. The farewell concert will feature massed items with alumni returning to the stage to perform alongside the current choir, and will celebrate the legacy, friendships, and shared musical journey that have defined NZSSC over four decades. It will be a truly special occasion – one that honours the past, celebrates the present, and sets the stage for what comes next. For more about this concert click here. 

Just two days later, they will travel to Singapore and Hong Kong to perform at two prestigious choral festivals to showcase their artistry, share their stories, and represent the spirit of Aotearoa New Zealand on the international stage.

Congratulations NZSSC and best wishes for a wonderful tour.

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