New Zealand's finest secondary school choirs are gathering at the Christchurch Town Hall this week for The Big Sing National Finale, a celebration of youth, culture, and the power of collective voice. Selected from hundreds of choirs that competed at regional festivals across the motu, 24 ensembles will perform live in a showcase that has become a cornerstone of Aotearoa's musical calendar.
The event, presented by the New Zealand Choral Federation, is more than a competition. It is a living portrait of modern New Zealand: a blend of te reo Māori waiata, Pasifika languages, classical traditions, and contemporary composition, all delivered by rangatahi who are shaping the cultural future of this country.
How to watch The Big Sing Finale live
All Finale sessions are streaming live from the Christchurch Town Hall, with video produced by JX Live and sound by RNZ Concert. Viewers can also catch the sessions on the RNZ Concert Facebook page.
The centrepiece Gala concert will be broadcast during Music Alive on RNZ Concert at 7pm on Friday 11 September 2026. Esteemed broadcaster Miriama Kamo will compere the evening, which features the massed item Hine e Hine, composed by Princess Te Rangi Pai, arranged by Andrew Withington, and conducted by Susan Densem.
The 2026 Finale choirs: a national tapestry of talent
From Auckland to Ōtautahi, the 24 finalist choirs represent the breadth of Aotearoa's secondary school music scene. Several schools are fielding multiple ensembles, a testament to the depth of their choral programmes.
- Ad Lucem - Napier Girls' High School - Christopher Atkinson
- Bel Canto - Burnside High School - Susan Densem
- Bel Suono - Waikato Diocesan School - Maria Colvin
- Blue Notes - Tawa College - Isaac Stone
- Cantare - Westlake Girls High School - Fiona Wilson
- Choralation - Westlake Girls High School & Westlake Boys High School - Fiona Wilson
- Con Anima - St Patrick's College, Wellington - Mark Bobb
- Euphony - Kristin School - David Squire
- Fortissimo - Dilworth School - Jacob Moore
- Kentoris - Saint Kentigern College - Matthew Leese
- Macleans College Chorale - Macleans College - Sarah McNabb
- MANifesto - Palmerston North Boys' High School - Graeme Young
- Ngā Korimako - Wellington College & Wellington Girls' College - Michael Fletcher
- Ngā Manu Tīoriori - St Andrew's College - Jared Corbett
- Paradisum - Epsom Girls' Grammar School - Virginia Le Cren
- Rāwhiti - Wellington East Girls' College - Kathryn Hunt
- Resolutions - Rangi Ruru Girls' School - Helen Charlton
- Saints Alive - St Cuthbert's College - Denzel Panama
- Seraphim - Chilton Saint James School - Rowan Johnston
- Serenata - Rangitoto College - Rhianna Maker / Karen Roberts
- St Cecilia Singers - Diocesan School for Girls - Jono Palmer
- Takapuna Grammar School Chorale - Takapuna Grammar School - David Squire
- The Centennial Choir - Mount Albert Grammar School - Terence Maskell
- Voicemale - Westlake Boys High School - David Squire
Who are the 2026 National Finale adjudicators?
This year's panel brings together world-class expertise from across the globe, reflecting The Big Sing's international standing.
David Childs is a music instructor at Dallas College in the United States, where he teaches vocal ensemble, piano, theory, composition, conducting, and voice. An active conductor, clinician, and composer, Childs has led choirs across the US, New Zealand, and Japan, and his commissioned works are performed worldwide.
Madeleine Pierard won the 2005 Lexus Song Quest and has since built an international career as a soprano. A former Jette Parker Young Artist with The Royal Opera in London, she has performed at the Wigmore Hall, the Barbican, and alongside Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, while maintaining close ties with the NZSO.
Tim Wayne-Wright spent a decade with the Grammy Award-winning ensemble The King's Singers, performing over 1,500 concerts in the world's great venues. Since leaving in 2018, he has taught more than 500 masterclasses, sharing chamber music skills with choirs and instrumentalists internationally.
New awards celebrate te reo Māori and Pasifika languages
Two special awards highlight The Big Sing's commitment to linguistic and cultural diversity, a reflection of Aotearoa's unique identity.
Dr Siliva Gaugatao Afamasaga Niulēvāea Tofilau adjudicates the Pasifika Award, recognising the best performance of a piece in a Pasifika language. A champion of Pacific choral music, languages, and education, Dr Gaugatao has worked with ensembles from children's choirs to New Zealand's national choirs. The award is proudly sponsored by the office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific at the University of Auckland.
Liz Kereru adjudicates the Auahi Kore Award for the best performance of a piece in te reo Māori. An accomplished composer of Māori waiata and an experienced exponent of Māori performing arts, Kereru draws on the knowledge passed down by her kaumātua. She is a dedicated teacher and advocate of te reo Māori, committed to the preservation and transmission of mātauranga Māori.
Why The Big Sing matters for Aotearoa's cultural future
The Big Sing is more than a competition; it is a national conversation in song. It is where young New Zealanders learn not just to sing, but to listen, to collaborate, and to honour the diverse traditions that make up this country. In a world increasingly fragmented, the image of hundreds of rangatahi raising their voices together in a Christchurch hall is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we sing as one.
Whether you are a parent, a teacher, or simply someone who believes in the transformative power of music, the Finale is unmissable. Tune in, listen closely, and hear the future of Aotearoa.