Selected as standout leaders from an amazing group of students, their role includes being representatives for NZSSC, speaking at concerts, ensuring members feel united and assisting staff when needed.

Now old hands at this choir gig, they’re both in their second round of NZSSC, we put them to the six-question-quick-fire-test.

What are you watching, eating and listening to right now?

CT: I am watching Top Gear—I’m a procrastinator. I love eating sushi and listening to Harry Chapin, Pink Floyd, The Bee Gees and The Beetles.

EH: I’m trying to finish Fresh Prince of Bel Air before it is taken off Netflix, next on my list is Glee. I also love sour skittles and listening to alternative rock, but will pretty much listen to anything and always love new recommendations.

Looking forward to the tour next year?

EH: It’s going to be amazing! I can’t wait to meet other singers from around the world, and live with my favourite people—NZSSC. European food is also high on my priority list.

CT: I can’t wait to go to Germany, it’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit. I’m looking forward to making some good connections there.

Carson making friends in Hong Kong on the NZSSC tour last year

Highlights of NZSSC so far …

CT: The tour last year to Hong Kong and Shanghai was a highlight as well as meeting new friends and learning challenging songs in different languages. NZSSC has taught me to not be afraid to learn something new. Being elected Choir Leader is a huge achievement for me! I enjoy the social side—I get to meet others my age who love singing as much as I do. We all have one common goal, to sing!

EH: Is it too cheesy if I say every moment is a highlight? I’ve made many of my closest friends in the choir, and it’s wonderful to spend time with such talented people who share my passion. The repertoire is always fun and I’m grateful for how much NZSSC continues to help me develop my voice and musical knowledge, and that we get to work with distinguished singers, coaches, directors and composers.

Since joining NZSSC, my aural skills, voice and confidence have all improved. NZSSC is such a supportive place to express yourself, make mistakes and learn.

Plans for next year, when you leave school?

EH: I’m not too sure yet. I am planning to take a gap year, maybe travel and work a bit. Then, I am thinking of studying medicine, but hope to fit in some more singing too.

CT: I want to be a full-time musician and make it into the music industry internationally. I want to write music and to record my own music of all different types of genres. I enjoy country music and American Folk music.

I have recently returned from Nashville after performing at the Country Music Artists Festival where I sang on stage with other artists such as fellow New Zealand artist Keith Urban. I met Sonny Curtis, who was the guitarist from Buddy Holly and the Crickets and has been inducted into the country music song-writing hall of fame, and also Ray Stevens, a singer song-writer and comedian.

What about in five or ten years?

EH: I would like to be travelling, singing and taking photos. I’m not sure where I’ll be, or what I’ll be doing. I just know there will definitely be some music somewhere!

CT: Singing and recording my own music in New Zealand and USA and helping to inspire others to write and sing. (Carson has already been recorded and performed solo, including for at a concert for victims for the Christchurch mosque shootings. Read an article on him here and take a listen to an interview and performance on Radio NZ with Gray Bartlett.)

CT: Don’t be afraid to do something you fear. Take a risk, you might find that you are able to achieve a lot more than you think.

EH: Practise lots and make the most of every opportunity regardless of fear. Audition for everything, whether you think you’ll succeed or not. Every audition helps you to gain experience and grow.

Creating meaningful links between the sung pieces was poetry by UK poet Godfrey Rust presented by Catrin Johnsson:

“The universe from which Love sprang
started with a Tiny Bang
when Love, to everyone’s surprise,
came dancing out of paradise…” ‘Dancing’, Godfrey Rust

Johnsson lifted the words off the page with such profound and sincere delivery, it added a genuine depth to the occasion.

Centred around Christmas and the spirit of Christianity, the choir began the programme with Bob Chilcott’s contemporary “Nova Nova” with joyous call and response between sections. This led to the multitalented Pasifika composer Igelese Ete and his “Nova Nova” a gem that received it’s premiere last night. Here Voices NZ gave us warmth and beautiful intelligent singing, cupped handclaps added a Samoan touch.

Chris Artley’s premiere of his take on “Deck the Halls” airlifted the tone into fun jazz sounds. Here the especially shiny sopranos led the melody with real confidence and beauty. Along with the delicious endpiece of Peter Gritton’s “Follow that Star”, the Artley was a welcome lift of style and rhythm.

Voices NZ has a beautiful choral sound born of schooled singers with top technical ability. Grylls draws out a disciplined and exacting sound which gives this choir a focussed purity which is hard to beat. The sopranos particularly shone last night, but the whole ensemble is right on Gryll’s fingertips. It was challenging choral music – Daniel Elder’s “O Magnum Mysterium” of 2013 undulated on waves of hummed notes and created pure magic. There were angelic sounds from the women and glorious tone from the men. Good solo spots were also on offer – beautiful soprano and tenor solos formed a youthful frame for the Stephanie Martin piece “An Earthly Tree”.

How fortunate is NZ to have so many notable composers and for these premiers to be performed by such a fine choir. “Quittez Pasteur” by David Hamilton, featured Canteloube-like folk melodies and a charming roundelay finish. An alto/soprano duet vignette lit up Anthony Ritchie’s “Es ist ein Ros”. Eve de Castro-Robinson’s “Star of Wonder” brought an inventive new take on traditional Christmas carol texts. Even if the choir wasn’t altogether comfortable with the tricky accented rhythms and the bodhrán drum accompaniment was slightly tentative.

But the stand-out performance of the evening was Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds’ “Stars” of 2011. Positioned around the audience, the singers fanned out surrounding us with their resonance. Added to this the composition calls for sustained notes from Tibetan singing bowls and pitched wine glasses. It was spine-tingling and profoundly moving to be immersed in these voices as their sound rose high into the vaulted ceiling of St Matthew-in-the-City.

Daniel Elder’s “Star Sonnet” suffered unfairly from being the aftermath of such glory. Ideally, a short sharp little firecracker would have been better programming. Similarly for the John Taverner, “Sleep” was just a little too sleepy, and although beautiful by nature, the audience could have used cold water rather than a blanket.

And perhaps there could be more curiosity from a choir specialising in the NZ sound to root out an Aotearoa-like soundscape, especially around the time of Matariki. Robert Wiremu’s “Extra Rations of Wine”, a story of the early Europeans’ experience of Aotearoa at Christmas time, reverted to a European style Hodie Christus natus est but there could have been a moment spent in the lush forests on the shores of Abel Tasman’s anchorage. Even so, it was nice storytelling and a welcome change of colour.

Screenshot 2019 07 22 at 4.20.44 PM

But one thing is for sure, I will certainly return again. Voices New Zealand takes the audience on such an assured and crystalline journey, every concert will offer great musical riches to those fortunate enough to be present.

New Zealand composers were represented with six newly commissioned choral arrangements of traditional carols, and the 24 semiprofessional singers directed by internationally acclaimed choral conductor Karen Grylls rendered magnificent interpretations of the a capella settings.

Clarity of text is often lost in this venue, but overarticulation would have destroyed the magic and beauty of this genre’s pure kaleidoscopic resonance.

Katrin Johnsson (language and vocal coach) introduced items with relevant poetic extracts by contemporary English poet Godfrey Rust.

Spirited renderings of two versions of Nova Nova (one by Samoan composer Igelese Ete of Moana soundtrack fame) accustomed both choir and the large audience to cathedral acoustics and reverb, and revealed the choir’s strength and projection.

Familiar themes and ‘‘falalahs’’ of Deck the Halls were subtly encased in diverse rhythmic blends in a modern take by Chris Artley, and Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, newly arranged by Dunedin composer Anthony Ritchie, highlighted an immaculate union of sound, particularly in the unwavering soprano fadeout.

O Magnum Mysterium (Daniel Elder) featured melded whirling circles of tight harmonies — so effective.

Nonintrusive soprano solo lyricism over everchanging harmonic fabric illuminated David Hamilton’s Quittez Pasteurs, then came a contrast with Star of Wonder, by Eve de CastroRobinson, when bass drum percussion set contemporary tonality in a palate of pulsating dynamics but leaving discerning traces of the popular traditional carol.

Stars, by Eriks Esenvalds, used effective waterglass accompaniment, complementing the surround of sound, as choir members grouped in threes in the side aisles.

The recital ended with Birthday Sleep (John Tavener) and Hodie Christus Natus est, by Robert Wiremu.

Such a heartwarming treat for a bleak winter day.

https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/otago-daily-times/20190722/281711206238329

“This is great news for our singers and audiences,” says Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Board Chair, Andrea Gray, “The merger will create a stronger, clearer pathway for New Zealand’s best singers, from teen to adulthood. We’ll be better serving our sector and communities—achieving excellence across all age groups.”

“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,” says Linda Webb, former Chair of the NZSSC Board, which will now merge into the Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Trust.

A unified organisation opens up new conversations with funders and sponsors. Outreach programmes will also be extended—incorporating schools across all levels. While the merger will see more collaboration and growth, each choir will still retain its own identity and artistic freedom. The three choirs will perform together at the New Zealand Choral Academy at Auckland Anniversary weekend, marking a new era for choral music in this country.

The Choral Academy will offer aspiring singers from across the country the chance to work alongside the three choirs for a weekend of fun and inspiring workshops and performances. Participants will be separated into age groups that align with each choir, and get to sit-in or work alongside them. They’ll experience the highest level of tuition and gain an understanding of the journey of a choral singer in New Zealand. The Academy is open to singers across the country, anyone can join in. Register here.

Acclaimed conductor and composer Tecwyn Evans sang in both NZSSC and Youth Choir. Now based in Sweden with his wife, soprano Susanna Andersson, Tecwyn will be leading the group mirroring Voices. Robert Wiremu was in all three national choirs and is a former director of NZSSC. He’ll be involved with the NZSSC group. Youth Choir will be working with conductor Michael Stewart.

FACE featured symphonic songs and choruses with poetic lyrics written by New Zealand writer Vincent O’Sullican providing descriptions of the landscape of war as well as the hardships faced by the wounded and their loved ones.

The work is a modern-day version of a passion play as we follow in the footsteps of a young solider with his wife singing a Madonna-like role.

The orchestra provided a rich emotional drama ranging from the peaceful and contemplative to the thunderous and ferocious. Elements of the work were militaristic along with eloquent romantic passages which Harris had carefully structured so chorus, soloists and orchestra created a musical landscape that combined the reality and horror of war, a sense of myth and the pain of individuals.

The three soloists were impeccable, their singing bringing an intensity and emotion to their roles as they interacted with the orchestra.

Soprano Alison Bell sang the role of a woman who listens to the radio, looks at photographs and waits. She revealed aspects of the impact of the war on her and her husband. Singing the verse This is the right address, her voice had a palpable anguish to it.

Tenor Henry Choo as the soldier wondering about the impact of his new face gave a thoughtful performance, his voice hinting at apprehension and despair. Joel Amosa’s rich bass voice was a strong contrast to Choo and Bell with a voice of authority.

The VOICES NZ Chamber Choir was finely integrated into the work and provided some passages of outstanding singing, both with harsh battle-inspired sounds as well as subtle passages as when members sang sotto voce.

The impact of the work was heightened by the use of large projected images created by Tim Gruchy, based on an original artwork by Barry Cleavin. These depicted a collage of faces, abstract shapes, images of toy soldiers and wasteland.

The work played before FACE was Vaughan Williams’ Lark Ascendingand there were references to larks in the singing of FACE. Given the context of the concert, the Vaughan Williams work seemed more profound. Rather than a pastoral work celebrating the coming of spring, there was a sense of the birds being the souls of men ascending from the battlefield. Violinist Yanghe Yu gave the work a spirited interpretation with a fragility and lightness, without any of the cloying sweetness that can often mar performances of the work.

Where Lark Ascendingwas an appropriate work to play before FACE, the work which followed, Elgar’s Enigma Variations,seemed to make another connection. FACE concluded with soldiers embarking on new lives. Elgar’s portraits of friends gave an additional sense of hope and of new futures.

Dutch conductor Antony Hermus flawlessly conducted the Williams and Harris works but with the Elgar he was transformed. He became a dramatic performer in his own right, cavorting, crouching and dancing on the podium. The way he conducted with his hands appeared to be some form of semaphore communication and at times he appeared to be playing an unseen instrument. He provided a witty and dramatic telling of the work.

FACE will be performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican, London, this Saturday, along with Maurice Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, John Adams’ The Wound Dresserand Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.

Forthcoming APO Concerts include The Planetson May 10 featuring Debussy’sImages pour orchestre, Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Themeand Holst’sThe Planets; and Organ Symphonyon May 17 featuring Lilburn’s Aotearoa Overture, Sibelius’ Violin Concertoand Saint-Saens’ Symphony No 3, Organ.

By John Daly-Peoples

https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/new-anzac-symphonic-work-revealing-tragedy-survivors-jd-215053

Ross Harris’ Face pays tribute to the pioneering plastic surgery of Harold Gillies during World War I. Vincent O’Sullivan’s verses take care to convey history through the lives of its participants, and it was delivered under a subtly evolving Barry Cleavin image.

Face is a score of considerable solemnity, laid out between sonorous blessings from Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir. The restrained orchestral palette early on soon graduates to wild, scatter-gun outbursts, conveying the horrors of war, with numerous sinister marches, now familiar as a component of this composer’s musical armament.

The narrative for three soloists is relatively calm alongside this instrumental fury.
Henry Choo was impressive as the impassioned young soldier, not quite matched by Allison Bell as his young woman. While Harris surrounds the Australian soprano with a bower of beautiful effects, her raw vibrato in the upper register was disturbing. Alongside them, Joel Amosa exerted his usual strong presence as a voice of military and medical authority.

Face is the Kiwi centrepiece of a staunchly British evening.

First up, Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending featured a young Yanghe Yu as a thoughtful, sweet-toned soloist, only occasionally wanting in rhapsodic fervour.

Dutch conductor Antony Hermus, a model maestro in the first half, had the orchestra to himself for Elgar’s Enigma Variations after interval, giving an extraordinarily vivid reading, full of dash and intricate detail.

This work changed the landscape of English music in 1899 and Hermus seemed to underline the fact that, back then, it had burst out, unexpectedly, from a compower known for pretty salon pieces and sturdy, worthy monoliths. In this performance, there were ironic hints and echoes of both set around a spellbinding Nimrod variation.

What: Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra & VOICES NZ Chamber Choir
Where: Auckland Town Hall
When: Thursday 19 April 2018
Reviewer: William Dart

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=12037580

Since 1998, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir has performed, rehearsed and trained to deliver the most excellent choral singing in this country and on occasion, overseas. From a professionally run choir to a truly professional ensemble under Karen Grylls’ inspiring leadership, VOICES is turning 20 and now we have the opportunity to put the icing on the birthday cake – a professional European tour!

This is a dream tour and we hope you can help us make this dream come true.

We wanted to find a tour that positions VOICES in the artistic esteem it deserves and we have succeeded! We have been invited to be part of a international choral concert series in London. Two music agencies love what we do and have arranged for concerts in Hamburg and Berlin, and in Aix-en-Provence in France. New Zealand fan and renowned conductor Simon Halsey has asked us to join his choir in Barcelona for a concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana, a venue that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We have also been invited by the people of Le Quesnoy in France to commemorate the centenary of the World War I Armistice Day together. Their village was liberated by New Zealand soldiers in the final two weeks of WWI. We commissioned a special work for this occasion: THE UNUSUAL SILENCE by Victoria Kelly. Inspired by letters from Kiwi soldiers and their families, this piece of music tells an important part of our history.

This tour is our chance to take VOICES to important international stages to tell our unique New Zealand stories and share our music.

Your donation will be invested 100% towards making this tour a reality. You can donate directly through our website and put your support behind your favourite tour destination below. All donations over $5 are tax deductible.

We are very, very grateful for your support.
Karen, Emma, Arne and VOICES New Zealand

Support:

VOICES in London
VOICES in Hamburg
VOICES in Berlin
VOICES in Le Quesnoy
VOICES in Aix-en-Provence
VOICES in Barcelona

VOICES NZ joined The King’s Singers for concerts in Wellington and Auckland as part of the NZ Festival and Auckland Arts Festival on 9 and 10 March 2018. Both concerts were very well received – check out the reviews below:

“It was a double a cappella birthday celebration: The King’s Singers were celebrating their 50th ‘Gold’ Anniversary and the Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir their 20th Birthday this year.” Stephen Gibbs – SOUNZ

NZF: The King’s Singers & Voices New Zealand

“It was an unmitigated pleasure to experience the vocal sheen and expertise when the two groups joined forces for the rich canvases of Eric Whitacre’s The Stolen Child and Bob Chilcott’s High Flight, conducted by Karen Grylls.” William Dart – NZ Herald

NZ Herald review

“The balance of the programme was a carefully constructed mix of the contemplative and the exuberant, ending with a medley of close harmony songs that was greeted with the sort of enthusiasm that suggested the concert could have gone on a great deal longer; advertised as lasting 90 minutes, it ran for nearly two hours, but the audience was still ready for more.” John Button – Dominion Post

Dominion Post review

It is a wonderful achievement to be now in our twentieth year. I’m not sure any of us, whose bright idea it was in 1998 to form a national, professional-level chamber choir, thought that we would be celebrating our twentieth year in such style: performing with The King’s Singers, recording and performing with the Auckland Philharmonia and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and touring internationally to England, Germany, France and Spain. Well, we are! And congratulations, King’s Singers, on your fiftieth anniversary year and your outstanding performances around the world. We are very proud of our antipodean connections and look forward very much to singing together in this special year.

As for Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, the inspiration initially came from singers who had sung in national youth choirs and who wanted to continue the opportunity at a national, professional level. I had already made some personal, professional decisions that would create the time necessary to work with such an ensemble. After directing the Auckland Dorian Choir for fifteen years, a change was necessary. Thanks to Jacqui Simpson and some enthusiastic singers, we launched Voices in March 1998 in time to debut at the New Zealand International Arts Festival. In quick succession, there was a June performance of Bach Johannes Passion in the Bach Festival with the New Zealand Chamber Orchestra, concerts in Spain and first prizes from the Tolosa Choral Competition in October.

Much of our performing has come as a result of collaborations with national and international organisations, festivals, orchestras and with inspiration and invitation from our musical colleagues. We treasure our relations with the New Zealand Festival and the Auckland Arts Festival (thank you, Carla van Zon). We’ve sung for Howard Shore, Jan Pascal Tortelier, James Macmillan, Jane Glover, Nicholas McGeegan, Simon Carrington, and Vladimir Ashkenazy, to name a few. Local collaborations have seen us performing with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Brian Law, Uwe Grodd, Marc Taddei and Tecwyn Evans.

Recording, too, has played a significant part of our profile. Highlights include premier recordings of Vanhal and Hummel recordings with the Aradia Ensemble for Naxos, the Tui award-winning disc Spirit of the Land, Voices of Aotearoa and most recently, Ross Harris’s Requiem for the Fallen with the New Zealand String Quartet.

Those who sing in the choir are passionate about their art, they give of themselves in time and spirit, beyond all expectations. It is a privilege to work with these inspiring singers as we develop our own art and share musical skills with other singers in our communities and schools through workshops and joint performances. The Aorere College Choir Residency in 2007 was one of the most memorable.

Also memorable was the 2011 Music New Zealand Tour, Voices of Aotearoa, with taonga pūoro artist Horomona Horo. This tour gave us the opportunity for seminal performances in the development of the choir; who we are and why we sing. We proved to ourselves that we could convincingly sing Purcell and waiata in the same programme. And as the artistic director and conductor of this national choir, I have always valued and welcomed the opportunity to commission and perform works from our New Zealand composers. This was a very special programme, which also made its way to the World Symposium of Choral Music in Patagonia and Argentina, later the same year.

In our twentieth year, our collective aspiration remains: to sing at the highest level, to encourage our composers to write about things that matter, and to share the music and the singing, which has the power to change our lives for the better. See you at the Festival!

Karen Grylls ONZM

Check out our latest newsletter here

VOICES NZ Chamber Choir is thrilled to open its concert year with joint concerts with leading UK ensemble The King’s Singers. These concerts will be part of the New Zealand Festival in Wellington and Auckland Arts Festival in March. In April VOICES will work with the APO on performing and recording Ross Harris’ new work FACE as part of the ENIGMA concert in April. The VOICES woman will join the APO again in May for Holst’s THE PLANETS. In June rehearsals are planned in preparation for an international tour in November (details to come). This busy year will end with another highlight performing Beethoven’s gargantuan Symphony No. 9 with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Auckland and Wellington.

You can also mix in concerts by our other national choir, New Zealand Youth Choir. NZYC will be touring to Rotorua, Hamilton, Auckland, Arrowtown, Invercargill, Dunedin and Wellington.

Pick and mix your favourite concerts with our LOVE VOICES packages. Not only will you receive special discounts to the big concerts with NZSO and APO, and even The King’s Singers, but also to the NZYC concerts – so you can hear more choral music for less! It would even make a fabulous last-minute Christmas gift (or treat yourself!). Single tickets will go on sale in the New Year.