Festival Voices Tour Concert - the Auckland Youth Choir - Sunday 5 July 2026
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At 2:30pm on Sunday 5 July at Christ Church St Laurence, the Auckland Youth Choir (AYC) will be performing highlights of the repertoire they are taking on tour to the Festival of Voices in Tasmania. Entry to the concert at CCSL is by donation.
Established in 1984, the Auckland Youth Choir stands as one of the top unauditioned choirs in Aotearoa New Zealand, comprising more than 130 singers aged 16 to 27. Representing the vibrant musical culture of Auckland, the choir serves as a bridge for young vocalists transitioning from secondary school environments into the professional and adult choral spheres. For their appearance at the Festival of Voices in Hobart and this concert in Sydney, the ensemble is represented by a touring choir of 47 auditioned members.
Throughout its 42 year history the AYC has cultivated a reputation for innovative programming, significant membership growth, and high-profile collaborations with some of New Zealand’s most distinguished musicians and arts organisations. The choir’s versatility is reflected in its diverse performance history, ranging from poignant ANZAC Day commemorations at the Auckland War Memorial Museum to regular, sold-out concerts at the historic St Matthew-in-the-City church and the Auckland Town Hall.
On the international stage, AYC has garnered significant acclaim. In 2016, the ensemble participated in the world premiere of Paul Mealor’s work at Carnegie Hall, New York City. This was followed by a successful tour to Australia in 2019, where the choir won the choral section of the Australian International Music Festival, culminating in a performance at the Sydney Opera House. Most recently, in July 2024, the choir achieved a prestigious Gold Medal at the 13th World Choir Games held in their home city.
Beyond the stage, AYC is dedicated to the future of the arts through its Development and Mentoring Project. This initiative provides emerging conductors, accompanists, and composers with professional mentorship and podium time. Committed to the expansion of the choral canon, the choir commissions at least one original work from within its membership annually, fostering the next generation of New Zealand composers.
AYC is under the artistic leadership of Music Director David Squire (former Music Director of the New Zealand Youth Choir, which won the Choir of the World title in Wales last year), alongside Assistant Music Director and Pianist Claire Caldwell, and is supported by Choir Manager Kasey Hani Lui.
The program presented at CCSL will be selected from the list below:
The Wheel that Moves the Sun and Stars (Eric William Barnum)
O Nata Lux (Anna Lapwood)
I Can’t Give You Anything but Love (Jimmy McHugh, arr. Riley and Althouse)
Kyrie and Heilig – from Die Deutsche Liturgie (Felix Mendelssohn)
I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside (John Glover-Kind, arr. Andrew Carter)
Pepeha (Six60, arr. Harker)*
Night (David Hamilton)*
Carmina mei cordis (Abbie Betinis)
1. Aeterna lux, divinitas
2. Angele Dei
The Moon is Distant from the Sea (David Childs)*
The Secret – from Songs of the Land and Sea (Maria Grenfell)*
Way Over in Beulah Lan’ (Trad. Spiritual, arr. Stacey Gibbs)
My Lord, What a Morning (Trad. Spiritual, arr. Mobley, LaBarr & Payne)
The Nearness of You (Hoagy Carmichael, arr. Kirby Shaw)
Te Aroha (Te Puoho Katene)*
Ride the Chariot (Trad. Spiritual, arr. William Henry Smith)
Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi (Wī Te Tau Huata)*
Tōia mai te Waka (Piri Poutapu)
*= New Zealand work
Established in 1984, the Auckland Youth Choir stands as one of the top unauditioned choirs in Aotearoa New Zealand, comprising more than 130 singers aged 16 to 27. Representing the vibrant musical culture of Auckland, the choir serves as a bridge for young vocalists transitioning from secondary school environments into the professional and adult choral spheres. For their appearance at the Festival of Voices in Hobart and this concert in Sydney, the ensemble is represented by a touring choir of 47 auditioned members.
Throughout its 42 year history the AYC has cultivated a reputation for innovative programming, significant membership growth, and high-profile collaborations with some of New Zealand’s most distinguished musicians and arts organisations. The choir’s versatility is reflected in its diverse performance history, ranging from poignant ANZAC Day commemorations at the Auckland War Memorial Museum to regular, sold-out concerts at the historic St Matthew-in-the-City church and the Auckland Town Hall.
On the international stage, AYC has garnered significant acclaim. In 2016, the ensemble participated in the world premiere of Paul Mealor’s work at Carnegie Hall, New York City. This was followed by a successful tour to Australia in 2019, where the choir won the choral section of the Australian International Music Festival, culminating in a performance at the Sydney Opera House. Most recently, in July 2024, the choir achieved a prestigious Gold Medal at the 13th World Choir Games held in their home city.
Beyond the stage, AYC is dedicated to the future of the arts through its Development and Mentoring Project. This initiative provides emerging conductors, accompanists, and composers with professional mentorship and podium time. Committed to the expansion of the choral canon, the choir commissions at least one original work from within its membership annually, fostering the next generation of New Zealand composers.
AYC is under the artistic leadership of Music Director David Squire (former Music Director of the New Zealand Youth Choir, which won the Choir of the World title in Wales last year), alongside Assistant Music Director and Pianist Claire Caldwell, and is supported by Choir Manager Kasey Hani Lui.
The program presented at CCSL will be selected from the list below:
The Wheel that Moves the Sun and Stars (Eric William Barnum)
O Nata Lux (Anna Lapwood)
I Can’t Give You Anything but Love (Jimmy McHugh, arr. Riley and Althouse)
Kyrie and Heilig – from Die Deutsche Liturgie (Felix Mendelssohn)
I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside (John Glover-Kind, arr. Andrew Carter)
Pepeha (Six60, arr. Harker)*
Night (David Hamilton)*
Carmina mei cordis (Abbie Betinis)
1. Aeterna lux, divinitas
2. Angele Dei
The Moon is Distant from the Sea (David Childs)*
The Secret – from Songs of the Land and Sea (Maria Grenfell)*
Way Over in Beulah Lan’ (Trad. Spiritual, arr. Stacey Gibbs)
My Lord, What a Morning (Trad. Spiritual, arr. Mobley, LaBarr & Payne)
The Nearness of You (Hoagy Carmichael, arr. Kirby Shaw)
Te Aroha (Te Puoho Katene)*
Ride the Chariot (Trad. Spiritual, arr. William Henry Smith)
Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi (Wī Te Tau Huata)*
Tōia mai te Waka (Piri Poutapu)
*= New Zealand work
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Where is it happening?
812 George St, Sydney, NSW, Australia, New South Wales 2000, Boost Juice the Galeries, 2450 George St, The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia, Pyrmont
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherChrist Church St Laurence
