College singers among NZ’s best

17 Nov 2020

It’s confirmed – Jake Cutler, Tom Whitteker and Ollie Jones have got great voices.

All three have won places in the 2021–2022 New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir, a nationally auditioned ensemble made up of around 60 students from all over the country.

Year 12 student Jake, and Year 11 students Tom and Ollie tried out for the choir knowing how competitive it was, and have recently learned of their success.

Music teacher Nick Sutcliffe, who was a member of the choir when he was at school in Auckland, congratulated the boys saying:

“It is a tremendous honour to be a member of any team that represents the country, and being a member of the NZ Secondary Students’ Choir is certainly no exception. I am thrilled and extremely proud of our boys who successfully auditioned to be part of this elite group for the next two years.

“They will be part of an ensemble of around 60 girls and boys who really do represent the top of their respective music fields. This group will tour around our wonderful country, performing in many different locations and environments, and will – world situation dependent – culminate in an overseas tour which often includes international competitions.

“I was a member of this choir when I was at school and absolutely loved the experience. I would go as far as to say it set in stone my love and passion for music-making. To get the opportunity to be in a group of like-minded, skilled musicians, is incredible, and these boys fully deserve the recognition they’ve received by being selected for all the hard work they put in at College and behind the scenes.

NZ Secondary Students Choir 2020