Performer

Profile

The New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir began as a choral course for secondary students in the 1960’s, with its first performance in 1967 as an established choir, with the Wesley Chapel Choir, in Wellington, under the musical direction of Malcolm Rickard.

In 1986 Dr Guy Jansen formed the first New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir as a training ground for the (then) New Zealand National Youth Choir. In 1988 Roger Stevenson was appointed Musical Director. The choir was formally established as a Charitable Trust in 1997.

Since 1988, a new choir has been nationally auditioned every second year, and every choir as acquitted itself with distinction on national and international stages.

Late in 2000, the choir appointed Elise Bradley as Musical Director. Under her direction the 2001-2002 choir represented New Zealand at the Australian National Choral Association conference in Brisbane. The 2003-2004 choir represented NZ at the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene, Oregon, USA. The NZSSC then toured to Canada taking three first place awards at the International Choral Kathaumixw in Powell River.

The 2005—2006 choir, again under the musical direction of Elise Bradley competed in the Hong Kong International Youth & Children’s Festival where it took the top award and won the title “The World’s Choir”. Following this the choir traveled to Xiamen China where it competed in the World Choir Games, gaining a Gold and a Silver Award.