The Big Sing

Composition

NZCF runs two annual choral composition awards in conjunction with SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music. Scroll down to see the 2025 winners.

NZCF-SOUNZ Choral Composition Competition

This competition was introduced by the New Zealand Choral Federation to mark the third millennium, with a trophy presented by NZCF Auckland Region. The competition is run in conjunction with SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music and awards a prize for the best choral piece composed by a New Zealand secondary school student.

The winning entry receives a cash prize of $250 supported by SOUNZ.
SOUNZ and NZCF also work together to facilitate either a live performance or a video recording of the winning composition for the audience of The Big Sing Finale gala concert.

The adjudicator for 2025 was David N. Childs. Read about David here.

NZCF-SOUNZ Choral Composition Competition 2025 Results

  • 1st Prize - Abilio Fernandes, St Patrick's College, Wellington - for 'Autumn Song'​​​​

  • 2nd Prize - Sofia Gong, King's College, Auckland - for ‘Winter Stars'

  • 3rd Prize - YuYang Ding, Westlake Boys High School, Auckland - for 'For Babel'

Very Highly Commended:

  • Benjamin Viljoen, Palmerston North Boys' High School - for 'Ek herhaal jou'

  • Leo Gore, Whitby Collegiate, Wellington - for 'Again and Again'

Highly Commended

  • Abi Mitchell, Westlake Girls High School, Auckland - for 'Windy Nights'
  • Larissa Chen, Westlake Girls High School, Auckland - for 'Sheep in Fog'

SOUNZ-NZCF Te Reo Māori Choral Composition Award


This award, initiated by SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music, was introduced in 2021 and aims to encourage young composers to write choral settings of texts in te reo Māori. The winning composer will receive a trophy - a taonga, kindly donated by SOUNZ, in the form of a beautiful pūtōrino Te Pūoho Ki Te Rangi carved by taonga puoro player/composer and maker Tāmihana Kātene.

The winning entry receives a cash prize of $250 supported by SOUNZ.
SOUNZ and NZCF also work together to facilitate either a live performance or a video recording of the winning composition for the audience of The Big Sing Finale gala concert.

The adjudicator for 2025 was David Tapene. Read about David here.

SOUNZ-NZCF Te Reo Māori ​​​​​Choral Composition Award 2025 Results

  • 1st Prize -Jesse Wallace, Tawa College, Wellington - for 'Tēnei Te Arā (Karakia Tawhito)'

  • 2nd Prize -Purity Rimaha, Rotorua Girls' High School - for 'Nga Puāwai'

Jesse Wallace (winner of the NZCF-SOUNZ Choral Composition Competition 2023) with SOUNZ Kaihautū Puoro Māori | Director of Māori Music, Toni Huata.
Elisabeth Te Puni (winner of the SOUNZ-NZCF Te Reo Māori Choral Composition Award 2024) with adjudicator Takerei Komene.