Welcome to the official site of the

Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival

We're girding up for 2012!

It has started! We are beginning the journey once again, taking another group of young singers and instrumentalists through the months of preparation that culminates in the biggest event in the Canterbury Primary Schools' calendar. It will be another year of effort and triumph, hopefully not quite as full of tribulation as 2011!! And we will be back in the CBS Arena - the only venue which can really cope with the numbers involved. 2011 proved that it was possible for us to stage the Festival there - but we have learnt some lessons about how to use the venue for this type of production, and we intend to make the most of those lessons to produce an even better spectacle.

Behind the scenes! The Festival Team has been active in the last part of 2011 in getting the 2012 programme together, preparing the music and sorting out venues. School choirs will be able to register to participate from a slightly later date this year - 20 February - which will alow schools to get themselves organised to send a representative to the Festival's AGM which is held on the 15 February. More details »

One song from the 2011 Music Festival: "A Te Tarakihi" arranged by Richard Oswin for the Festival Orchestra and Massed Choirs and featuring the Kapa Haka group from Casebrook Intermediate School. Filmed by Paul Tuffery, The Video Guys. You can order the whole Festival on DVD.

Thanks for 50 years - oustanding achievement On the final night of the 2011 Music Festival, Life Member Russell Kent was provided with a special gift to mark his 50ieth continuous year of service to teh children of Christchurch through his participation in so many roles in the Christchurch Schools' Music Festival. From organist, special group conductor, and accompanist to Musical Director, Russell has been a wonderful example of modest support, enormous energy and unflagging carrier of the ideal of the Festival. Thank you Russell, from the 200,000 children who have been in the Festival during your 50 years of music-making.

Andrew hits the spot There was warm praise flowing around the CBS Arena for Andrew Withington, the new Musical Director following the successful 2011 Music Festival. Andrew and the Music Team certainly enjoyed the challenge of bringing out the best from the performers in this new venue.

Suggest a song for 2013 or 2014 Massed Choirs. The conductors of the massed choirs in the Music Festival are already bending their minds towards the songs that they will select for the 2013 Music Festival. It's a big job...and 100 minds are better than four, so if you think that you know of a song that would be great for the Massed Choirs to perform in 2013, or perhaps 2014, you can send your suggestion directly to the conductors! » More