Mid-Canterbury Summer Singing School

27/01/2026

19/01/2026

🎉 I earned the emerging talent badge this week, recognising MCSSS for creating engaging content that sparks an interest among their fans!

18/01/2026

Announcing the 2026 Scholarship winners Tamsin Cartney, Lily Partridge and Chloe Graham. Between them nearly 30 years of attendance at MCSSS. Such worthy recipients a very talented trio. Congratulations to you all Jo and Paul.

18/01/2026

Well, its reflection time after a big week at MCSSS. My first and biggest thank you is to the wonderful Sarah Hart Bryant an absolute superstar. Your direction and choreography was fabulous and I know all the students adore working with you as do I. Thank you for coming down to your hometown of Ashburton from Auckland to share your talents with us all x
To the Ashburton Event Centre for housing over 100 students during the week and putting sound and lighting on a show so quickly, it's not an easy task. The students are so lucky to be able to perform in this venue.
To the wonderful volunteers behind the scenes who are involved in theatre or are parent helpers.
Tech crew- Peter Muir, Liz Wells, Joe Danielson, McKenzie Edmund,
Tenielle Booth and Nicole Johnson.
Costuming- Candy Clark and Stacey Howden
Backstage Heroes - Emma Aker, Kate Galbraith, Carmen Brown, Jane Lowe, Renee Pickles, Shayna Cairns, Jane Argyle Reed, Lisa Farr, Candy Clark, Stacey Howden and Sarah Grieve.
Please forgive me if I have left anyone else as there is a small army beavering away behind the scenes.
The students are so talented and work so hard over five half days of rehearsals. There are many expectations and demands from the directing team and they cope so well (even though very tired) to bring you all the very best performances they can give. It's such a delight working with talented youngsters, too much today is about negativity. At Mid Canterbury Summer Singing School we celebrate all that is good about music, theatre, teamwork and personal growth. Many new friendships are formed during this musical theatre learning week and this is such an important part of what it is all about. To our local media outlets quite simply thank you. AND TO THE PUBLIC WHO BUY THE TICKETS we just couldn't do it without you. There have been many happy tears this week, just incredibly proud of MCSSS and the fact it is still going after 26 years. This is only possible because of the amazing support for singing in our community. Thank you all so much. Jo Castelow

17/01/2026

Last show tonight would love it to be a sellout. The audience loved it last night💕

16/01/2026

Students please check your emails for change of warmup tonight

Men headmikes 6.30 theatre

All cast. 6.45 theatre

Come through stage door back of theatre dont go up to Bradford room. Thanks Jo

15/01/2026

Juniors rehearsing this morning… come and see them tonight

15/01/2026

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Wet weather dampening your spirits? The singers of the Mid Canterbury Summer Singing School have a fix for that. The 103 students, aged nine to 22 years old, have spent the last week rehearsing songs from Broadway shows for this year’s show, titled ‘Broadway Bound’. “These young people achie...