Jennifer works as a General Practitioner in Timaru and has been an NZSSC Board member for six years. She was  initially a Parent Representative when her daughter Eleanor became a choir member. Jennifer stayed on as a Board member and has welcomed the opportunities to be involved with helping our young members fulfil their potential as choristers and as New Zealand representatives.  Her daughter is a previous member of the New Zealand Youth Choir and Jennifer feels privileged  to remain on the Combined Board and be part of the continued delivery of excellent choral music in New Zealand.

Gary is a Business Professional with 30 plus year’s experience in the technology sector. He has worked for large multinational IT organisations and currently works for a nationwide technology provider as an Account Director.

As a parent to 4 grown children, he has been actively involved in a number of artistic, sporting and educational organisations including 5 years as a member of the Suzuki Music Auckland Committee and nearly ten years supporting various volunteer positions at Epsom Girls Grammar School.

Gary became a Trustee to the NZ Secondary Students Choir (NZSSC) in 2017 and has recently accepted a similar role on the Board of Trustees for the newly converged Choirs Aotearoa.

Amanda Barclay is a lawyer and public servant based in Wellington. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Music from the University of Otago, and a Masters in Law, (In House Practice) from the College of Law in Sydney. Amanda has been a member of all three national choirs; NZSSC, National Youth Choir and Voices NZ, as well as being a member of the New Zealand Opera Chorus and Wellington based Tudor Consort ensemble.

I have extensive experience in education that includes lecturing in pre-service teacher education, coordinating Professional Practice and the selection of teacher trainee intakes; teaching in a range of settings as a music specialist and classroom generalist in primary schools and the wider community. 

Governance roles have included chairing Music Education New Zealand Aotearoa (MENZA), and the inaugural NZSM MMus Therapy post graduate programme external advisory board. Currently I am President and interim Chair for the Music Therapy New Zealand Council (MThNZ) and have recently been a member of the Registration Board. I am the national representative for MENZA on the International Society for Music Education (ISME) Council, and a member of the Advocacy working group.  

My longstanding interest in supporting emerging talent includes young singers, and I have had the privilege of Chairing the NZSSC Trust Board for ten years. I am excited by the new opportunities that merging with CANZ brings, and look forward to working on the CANZ Board to further champion and expand the scope of the national choirs.  

Blake is from Auckland’s North Shore. Before joining the New Zealand Youth Choir, he went to Westlake Boys’ High School, where he sang in “Voicemale” and “Choralation” choirs, which kick-started his love for choral music.

Along with NZYC, Blake also currently sings in the University of Auckland Chamber Choir, where he is studying a conjoint degree in Engineering and Music, majoring in composition. Blake also plays piano and guitar, and enjoys singing in smaller ensembles in his spare time.

Ella is a student at Auckland University studying for a Bachelor in Music and Commerce.
She is a current member of the New Zealand Youth Choir and Auckland Chamber Choir. Ella is working with her singing teacher Dr. Morag Atchison and enjoys singing under Dr Karen Grylls at ACC. Ella joined Voices NZ in early 2018.

Jack Timings joined Voices New Zealand in September of 2016. Jack currently also sings with the New Zealand Youth Choir, Auckland Chamber Choir, Stellar Singers and the St Patrick’s Vocal Ensemble.

Finishing his Engineering Degree specialising in Chemical & Materials Engineering, Jack now works as an Industrial Process Engineer when he has a break from singing in choirs.
He hopes to be able to continue incorporating both his singing and engineering into his life for many years to come.

Sponsored by
Warwick and Catherine Mitchell (2017-2019)

Amy is an itinerant music teacher and accompanist, and is also studying towards a Master of Music at the University of Auckland, specialising in Collaborative Piano. She is originally from Taiwan where she began piano at the age of four, immigrated to New Zealand in 2002 and became an official ‘Kiwi’ in 2006.

Having developed a love for choral music and accompanying since a young age, Amy currently accompanies three Rangitoto College Choirs, Carmel College Senior Choir, North Shore Youth Choir, and Pohutukawa Singers; she was an intern accompanist at the 2017 IFAC Handa New Zealand Singing School, and has performed with Opera Factory, Auckland Youth Choir, and at Tauranga Performing Arts Competitions and Napier Performing Arts Competitions.

Amy joined NZ Youth Choir in 2015, and also sings in the Auckland Chamber Choir.