Teacher, conductor, broadcaster and music judge, Helen Caskie claims composition as her first love. Sought after for commissions, she has written for soloists and varying ensembles including orchestras.  Educational music has featured largely in Helen’s compositions  and range from piano pieces for animal-loving children (A Cat’s World and Crawley Crocodile and Co, for example) to songs of New Zealand poems evoking poignant memories of past experiences as in A Cycle of Recollections for voice, clarinet and piano.

Seven Songs of the Spirit, commissioned by the Palmerston North Choral Society to commemorate Women’s Suffrage Year (1993), celebrates the human spirits’ ability to praise, be joyful and live with love and mystery. Rhapsody for Violin and Piano, was awarded the Philip Neill Prize from University of Otago in 1982.

Born in 1930, Helen was educated at the Wanganui Girl’s College, Canterbury University College, Otago University and Teacher’s Training College. Helen founded, with the help of the musical community, the Manawatu Youth Choir and conducted it from 1986 to 1988. She is a patron of the Palmerston North Choral Society, a life member of various musical organisations and a Fellow of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers.

Helen is retired after a long teaching career but her music remains a favourite of teachers and performers. In 2012, the New Zealand Youth Choir included Ten Cent Mixture, Helen's light-hearted and funny songs to Fiona Farrell’s poems for children, in its programme.

Listen to Helen Caskie at Sounz