NZ Choir Wins Gold at Choral Olympics

NZ Choir Wins Gold at Choral Olympics

The 52-voice New Zealand Secondary Students Choir won a Gold Medal and were declared World Champions in the Mixed Youth Choir Section of the Choral Olympics which ended in Xiamen, China today.

They won the section against 25 other specially-selected choirs from around the world.

The New Zealand Choir, conducted by Elsie Bradley of Auckland, also won a Silver Medal in the only other section they entered, the Folk Lore section.

There is no overall winner in the Choral Olympics. The competition is run similarly to the Olympic Games where Gold Medals are given to the champions in each skill or section.

These awards top off the Choir’s very successful visit to China. Last week they were named the champion choir in the Hong Kong Children’s and Youth Choral Festival.

Present at the Choir’s winning performances in Xiamen was Dr Karen Grylls, the Musical Director of New Zealand’s world-renowned Tower New Zealand Youth Choir.

“They are tremendous ambassadors for New Zealand. Their singing is quite exceptional and they are deserving of New Zealand’s highest congratulations,” she said.

The New Zealand Secondary Students Choir returns to New Zealand next Monday after giving further performances in Xiamen and also Shanghai.

The following are the Choir members and their home locations:

Auckland – Moira Aneru, Jeffrey Chang, Rhianna Clarke, Charlotte Fetherston, Cameron Gray, Sarah Milsom, Peter Park, Nicholas Sutcliffe, Helen Tibbles, Jennie Verdonk

Tauranga – Chase Douglas, Imogen Thirlwall

Rotorua – Olivia Drake

Havelock North – Blaine Abraham, Adam Christensen, Tamsyn Miller

New Plymouth – Natasha Hansman, Scott Jonas

Palmerston North – Fiona Boddy, Norman Pati, Nicholas Ross

Wairarapa – David Bryce, Daniel Dew, Joshua Kidd

Wellington – Hannah Darroch, Anthony Allan-Moetaua, Jesse Antonio, Hannah Bascand, Amelia Berry, Peter Bisley, Simon Cook, John-Matai Ferguson, Isaac Stone

Nelson – Hazel Fenemor, Genevieve Rainey

Christchurch – Caitlin Andrew, Fiona Bellamy, Jessie Densem, Matthew Oswin, Polly Ott, Sarah Richardson, Oliver Sewell, Serena Somlyai, Sarah Strange, Natalie Williams, Thomas Woodfield, Simon Kersten, Hamish Cook

Oamaru – Tim Blackler

Dunedin – Michelle Willyams, Winnie Nichol, Georgina Furniss

Ends

© Scoop Media