Top 24 Secondary School Choirs To Compete In Dunedin At The Big Sing Finale

DUNEDIN, 28–30 August 

Dunedin will welcome Aotearoa’s finest young voices as the nation’s premier choral showcase, The Big Sing, returns for its national Finale featuring 24 standout secondary school choirs.

Earlier this year, more than 8,000 students from 250 secondary school choirs took part in regional festivals held across the country. After careful deliberation, a panel of adjudicators selected the top 24 choirs to represent the very best of New Zealand’s choral talent. These groups will come together in Dunedin from 28–30 August to perform in front of audiences and vie for Gold, Silver and Bronze distinctions.

Fresh from hosting the World Choir Games in 2024, the New Zealand Choral Federation is celebrating a growing wave of appreciation for the art of group singing across Aotearoa, boosted by the successes of the movie Tinā and the television series Choir Games. “It’s incredibly uplifting to see choral music gaining the spotlight it deserves,” says NZCF Chief Executive Christine Argyle. “We’re delighted to present The Big Sing Finale — a joyful, celebration of the talent and teamwork of our brilliant rangatahi. It’s a powerful reminder of how singing brings us together and lifts us up.”

The Big Sing Finale rotates around New Zealand — Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin — and this year’s event will take place in the iconic Dunedin Town Hall, regarded as having one of the best acoustics in the Southern Hemisphere. Eight competitive sessions will run across three days and are open to the public via door sales. Tickets for the Saturday night gala concert are available through Ticketmaster. Hosting the gala evening will be RNZ Concert’s Bryan Crump, presenter of the daily Three to Seven programme.

The adjudication panel for the Finale will include Australian conductor and music educator Debra Shearer-Dirié; composer, teacher and founding director of the renowned Signature Choir Fepulea’I Helen Tupai; and choir director, conductor and accomplished pianist Peter Watts. Kelly-Ann Tahitahi will decide the winner of the Auahi Kore award for the best performance of a piece with text in te reo Māori.

Over the three decades since The Big Sing began, countless young performers have had their first experience of performing on stage, with many going on to international careers — including a number of Lexus Song Quest winners and finalists. Reflecting on his journey, Sol3Mio baritone Moses Mackay says, “The Big Sing holds some of my fondest memories as a young singer – I had never experienced anything like it before! I’ve since performed many times in the Auckland Town Hall in the exact same spot where a 15-year-old kid was given an opportunity to be something he would never have dreamed possible.”

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