Globally recognised as one of the leading barbershop harmony programmes for youth, Young Singers in Harmony (YSIH) is an organisation run solely by volunteers with a mission to encourage musical participation and excellence in barbershop singing in secondary schools. Active since the early 1990s, YSIH exists to provide students with a non-cost-prohibitive avenue to sing, as well as a plethora of personal and professional development opportunities. Our programme is active in schools across the country in the form of choruses and quartets, which can take part in any of our three contest categories: Upper Voices, Lower Voices and Mixed Voices. 

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Each year, hundreds of young singers compete in regional contests around the country hoping to qualify to compete in the chorus and quartet finals at the annual YSIH National Convention. Taking place in a different city each year, the annual convention is the pinnacle of the YSIH calendar, bringing together the leading secondary school and youth groups from across Aotearoa for two days of quartet and chorus competitions, educational opportunities, and exposure to world-class performances.

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A registered charitable trust, YSIH is run by a national management team and overseen by a Board of Trustees. The BOT contains representatives from Barbershop Harmony NZ (BHNZ), Sweet Adelines NZ (SANZ), YSIH regional coordinators and participating secondary schools. The management team is comprised of volunteers from across the country, including the SANZ YWIH Coordinator and the BHNZ Youth Representative.

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In 2022, upon consultation with the BOT, YSIH made the decision to move away from gendered category names, renaming the three contest categories to Upper Voices, Lower Voices and Mixed Voices. 

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