WELCOME

The Southern Youth Choir was formed in 1992 by Maureen Smith and Anthony Ritchie. It is comprised of young singers between the ages of 16 and 25 years; some from secondary schools, most from the University of Otago and some continuing to be members after starting their working lives. The choir aims to up-skill young singers in the region to participate in four-part choral music and present their programmes to local audiences. Alongside the conductor, members of the choir who are developing their conducting skills are encouraged to prepare and perform repertoire.

Over the years, the Southern Youth Choir has been led by conductors who have gone on to become well-known. They include Anthony Ritchie, Tecwyn Evans, Jonathan Lemalu, David Burchell, Holly Mathieson, Josh Clark and George Chittenden. Benjamin Madden was conductor until the end of 2019. John Buchanan MNZM has been conducting the choir since 2020.

Rehearsals are held at All Saints' Church on Wednesday evenings during semester time from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.