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NYCoS is delighted and honoured to be able to announce that we have become the first youth arts organisation to win a Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award in the Ensemble category. NYCoS joins an illustrious list of previous winners including The Hallé Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, the London Sinfonietta and I Fagiolini.

The Award was given in celebration of outstanding achievement in 2011 - a year which saw the flagship NYCoS choir celebrate its 15th Anniversary with numerous events, including a critically acclaimed performance at the Edinburgh International Festival of Duruflé Requiem with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Robin Ticciati, and a five-star Gala Concert performance of Walton Belshazzar’s Feast with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Christopher Bell in September.

The annual RPS Music Awards, presented in association with BBC Radio 3, are the highest recognition for live classical music in the UK. Awards in 13 categories are decided by independent panels consisting of some of the music industry’s most distinguished practitioners.

Winners were announced on Tuesday 8 May at a prestigious awards ceremony in London. A dedicated programme on BBC Radio 3 will follow on Sunday 13 May from 2pm.

Speaking of the Award, founder and Artistic Director of NYCoS Christopher Bell, said:

“Who would have thought that sixteen years ago when we formed our very first choir and took our first faltering steps that NYCoS would be recognised and honoured with this prestigious accolade? I'm accepting the award on behalf of all the singers, staff, parents and supporters who have been on that journey together, and looking forward to the exciting things we have planned for the future.”

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The Chairman of the Board of the National Youth Choir of Scotland is very pleased to announce the appointment of Morag Campbell as the new Chief Executive of NYCoS.

Morag will take up the post at NYCoS in early June. Speaking of her appointment, Morag said:

“I have been a supporter of NYCoS for many years and am thrilled to be appointed as Chief Executive of what is surely a flagship organisation for young people in Scotland.”

Morag comes to NYCoS from Stevenson College, Edinburgh where she is currently Associate Principal and leads the Faculty of Creative Industries. Under her stewardship the Music Department grew from a single preparatory course to become the first area of the College to confer an Honours Degree gaining a national reputation for versatility, innovation and quality.

Christopher Bell, Founder and Artistic Director of NYCoS said:

“I am delighted that we have been able to appoint Morag out of a strong list of applicants. With the National Youth Arts strategy to be published soon, and a wealth of exciting plans in NYCoS’ future, we are pleased to have found someone with Morag’s breadth of administrative and artistic experience.”

James Coyle, Chairman of the Board of NYCoS, added:

“Morag is a highly experienced music and business professional with significant experience in the education and creative industries. I have no doubt that she will make an excellent Chief Executive and I very much look forward to working with her on developing NYCoS’ existing success as one of Scotland’s fastest growing youth arts organisations.”

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The National Youth Choir of Scotland is delighted to announce that it has been shortlisted for the RPS [Royal Philharmonic Society] Music Award in the Ensemble category.

The annual RPS Music Awards, presented in association with BBC Radio 3, are the highest recognition for live classical music in the UK. Awards in 13 categories are decided by independent panels consisting of some of the music industry’s most distinguished practitioners.

Winners will be announced on Tuesday 8 May at a prestigious awards ceremony, followed by a dedicated programme on BBC Radio 3 on Sunday 13 May from 2pm.

The Ensemble category considers any group of musicians, no smaller than three, performing together regularly and this year, the RPS Music Awards will celebrate outstanding achievement in 2011 – a year which saw the flagship NYCoS choir celebrate its 15th Anniversary with numerous events, including a critically acclaimed performance at the Edinburgh International Festival of Duruflé Requiem with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Robin Ticciati, and a five-star Gala Concert performance of Walton Belshazzar’s Feast with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Christopher Bell in September. In addition there was a concert spectacular by a 700 strong choir made up of members from NYCoS Area Choirs and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera.

Speaking of the nomination, founder and Artistic Director of NYCoS Christopher Bell, said:

“I have dreamt of the work of NYCoS staff and singers being recognised by a national organisation as prestigious as the RPS. Knowing the level of previous nominees and winners, to be considered for this year's award is a real honour and I'm grateful to all those who have been involved in the process thus far for including us on the list. To say I'm excited doesn't even begin to cover it!”

A full list of nominations for the RPS Music Awards 2012 is available online.

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The National Youth Choir of Scotland announced today that Joan Gibson will step down as Chief Executive to take up the post of Chief Executive of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland (NYOS).

Joan Gibson says
I have enjoyed my time at NYCoS and am sad to be leaving such a dynamic and forward-looking organisation. The artistic and educational integrity of NYCoS is highly respected and I am proud to have been part of such a great organisation for Scotland’s young singers.

Christopher Bell, Artistic Director, NYCoS says 
We are immensely grateful for the four and a half years we have had Joan Gibson as our CEO, during which time she has developed and restructured NYCoS administration and governance, ensuring our stability for the future. We wish her well as she faces new challenges in the years ahead and have launched an immediate search for a successor.

Visit our Job Opportunities page for details on how to apply.

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NYCoS is pleased to annouce the successful candidates for the NYCoS Associate Accompanist and NYCoS Student Conductor positions in 2012.

• Christopher Baxter has been named NYCoS Associate Accompanist for 2012 and will work with NYCoS and NYCoS National Boys Choir
• Andrew Nunn has been named NYCoS Student Conductor and will work with NYCoS 2012 during the residential course in July
• Christopher Barr has also been named NYCoS Student Conductor and will work with NYCoS National Boys Choir 2012 during the residential course in April

Well done from all at NYCoS!

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The NYCoS Annual Newsletter is out and available for you to read online.
Take a look...

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The National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCoS) is delighted to announce that its popular Go for Bronze/Silver/Gold musicianship programme has been endorsed by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM). A successful pass at Go for Gold level will be accepted as a substitute for the ABRSM Grade 5 Theory/Musicianship/Jazz requirement for progression to Grade 6 Practical.

NYCoS’ Go for series offers a carefully graded programme of essential musicianship skills using the principles of Zoltán Kodály. Initially developed for choir use, this course helps to establish fundamental musical skills for both singers and instrumentalists. Each workbook is intended to take a year in parallel with choir or classroom activities, though the pace may vary to accommodate differing abilities. The starting age could be as young as seven years old.

NYCoS Chief Executive, Joan Gibson, commented:

“An endorsement by an organisation of this stature is a real accolade for NYCoS and is acknowledgement of the visionary work of Christopher Bell and Lucinda Geoghegan. I am so pleased that the high standards of musicianship gained by our choir members are being truly recognised."

Nigel Scaife, Syllabus Director at ABRSM, added:

“I am delighted that ABRSM is able to formally recognise NYCoS’ excellent musicianship programme. The Go for Gold level adds a further option to Grade 5 Practical Musicianship, Jazz or Music Theory as a prerequisite for Grade 6 Practical. The NYCoS programme offers the kind of holistic and balanced curriculum that best supports the development of well-rounded musicians. Drawing on the principles of music education advocated by Zoltán Kodály, this is very much in tune with ABRSM’s objectives and we look forward to strengthening our partnership with NYCoS in the coming years.”

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The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) will, in partnership with the National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCoS), deliver a series of module-based courses on Kodály Musicianship – the first of its kind in Scotland.

The classes will be delivered by Kodály educator and NYCoS Education Consultant, Lucinda Geoghegan and will provide tuition on the philosophies of Zoltán Kodály, in both personal musicianship and educational pedagogy.

Flexible attendance options are available, allowing students to participate via day-time, twilight or weekend study. Joan Gibson, Chief Executive of NYCoS, said:

“NYCoS is delighted to be working in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on delivering the first Kodály accredited course in Scotland. NYCoS training courses have always been highly regarded but in this ever-growing age of accountability it seemed a logical progression to have our courses validated.

“The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is the only accrediting conservatoire in the UK and, as we are such close neighbours, it seemed the most obvious choice to enter into talks with them. RCS has, throughout the discussions, been totally supportive of NYCoS and we are now looking forward to a long and beneficial partnership.”

Professor John Wallace CBE, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, added:

“I am delighted that we are working with NYCoS on such an important area of learning and teaching. This partnership demonstrates that both the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and NYCoS are at the heart of the cultural wellbeing of the country. It is working in partnership like this that enables us to train a new generation of artists for Scotland and beyond.”

The courses will run from 9 October 2011 at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s main Renfrew Street Campus. Find out more...

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The varied and exciting programme was officially launched following the NYCoS National Boys Choir concert on Saturday 9 April at City Halls in Glasgow. Highlights will include:

Seven Planets and a Cosmic Rock
Sunday 8 May, 3.00pm, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

National Youth Choir of Scotland, Easter Tour
Thursday 21 April, 7.30pm, The Sage Gateshead
Monday 25 April, 2.00pm, St John’s Smith Square, London

National Youth Choir of Scotland at Edinburgh International Festival
Sunday 21 August, 8.00pm, Usher Hall, Edinburgh

15th Anniversary Gala Concert
Sunday 25 September, 7.30pm, Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Furthermore, the NYCoS Education Conference will once again provide valuable training for musicians, classroom teachers and choir leaders on 20 – 21 August at the Royal Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow. NYCoS is delighted to welcome keynote speaker Dr László Nemes, Director of The Kodály Institute, Hungary.

In addition, NYCoS National Boys Choir will perform at Aberdeen International Youth Festival in late July, while NYCoS National Girls Choir will make its debut at the Lammermuir Festival in September.

Our programme of NYCoS Area Choirs across Scotland will continue to provide singing opportunities for 8 – 18 year olds while Mini Music Makers continues to introduce the under 5s and their parents and carers to the world of music and singing.

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The National Youth Choir of Scotland is delighted to announce the first performance in its own right at the Edinburgh International Festival. Performing Duruflé Requiem accompanied by Scottish Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Robin Ticciati, the 130 strong choir of 16 – 24 year olds will take to the stage at the Usher Hall on Sunday 21 August at 8.00pm.

The choir members travel from across Scotland to spend an intensive residential week at Merchiston Castle School in early July, learning and perfecting the repertoire for the year ahead.

The announcement comes as NYCoS begins a year of celebrations marking its fifteenth anniversary. Other celebratory events include 700 singers from NYCoS Area Choirs on stage in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall performing Cunningham’s Seven Planets and a Cosmic Rock and a spectacular Gala Concert with RSNO in the Usher Hall in September.

NYCoS Artistic Director, Christopher Bell said: “It’s a great honour to be invited to perform at one of the most prestigious art festivals in the world. Our choir members are no strangers to the international stage, but to perform on home turf alongside some of the worlds musical greats is really very exciting.”

Read more...

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The National Youth Choir of Scotland is excited to announce the release of the first-ever commercial recording by the NYCoS National Girls Choir. The disc includes the world premier recording of Elizabeth Poston’s An English Day-Book, complemented perfectly by Britten’s beloved Ceremony of Carols and works by contemporary UK composers Oliver Iredale Searle and Stephen Deazley.

The eagerly awaited release was recorded by the 72 girls who travelled from across Scotland, accompanied by Claire Jones, Royal Harpist to HRH Prince of Wales, in Dundee’s Caird Hall in May this year following a five-star performance in Edinburgh.

Christopher Bell, Artistic Director of NYCoS and Conductor of the NYCoS National Girls Choir, said: 

“I believe An English Day-Book is a real find and a great addition to the repertoire for upper voices and Harp, which has Ceremony of Carols at its centre. It was a huge pleasure to work on this repertoire with the girls in NGC, Claire Jones and the Signum team. The disc really shows off the talent of our Scottish singers.” 

With Christmas just around the corner, CDs can be purchased online direct from NYCoS for only £10 (rrp £14.99) and, alternatively, from Signum Records and iTunes.

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The National Youth Choir of Scotland and the NYCoS Dundee Choir are delighted to welcome on board the Lord Provost, John Letford, as Patron of the NYCoS Dundee Choir.

Provost Letford’s life has been marked by dedicated service to young people and their well being. His involvement in sport, in training and through his roles as a Councillor and as Lord Provost, where he has sought to greatly elevate the role of youth groups and young people in ceremonial and civic functions, all display his deep seated affection for the young people of Dundee.

Speaking about his post as Patron of the NYCoS Dundee Choir, Provost Letford said: “It was an infinite joy and great honour to be invited to be the Patron for the NYCoS Dundee Choir and gives me, not only the continuing opportunity to savour the choir's beautiful and distinctive sound, but also the opportunity to support the choir in anyway I can.? ?“NYCoS and its Area Choirs are institutions that we as a City and indeed a nation are rightly proud of and that pride will, I am sure, remain intact in all the years to come.”

This latest addition adds to the patronage of NYCoS Choirs, giving our choirs excellent role models and a renewed sense of pride. Other patrons include Howard Goodall for NYCoS, Billy Boyd for NYCoS National Boys Choir, Karen Cargill for NYCoS National Girls Choir and The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh for NYCoS Edinburgh Area Choir.

Provost Letford continues: “In my tenure of Office as Lord Provost it has been a great privilege to be involved with, and support, the young people of Dundee City in the many initiatives and exciting activities they participate in. A major part of that experience for me has been witnessing and listening to the extraordinary musical talent on offer from our young Ambassadors”.

NYCoS Dundee Choir was formed in 2000 and recruits annually from Primary 3 from schools within the Dundee City Local Authority.?? There are now around 250 members of NYCoS Dundee Choir, who perform their own concerts twice a year, as well as performing at a range of additional engagements throughout the year.

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The NYCoS National Girls Choir will be performing their first concert of 2010 in the beautiful surroundings of Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh on Saturday 17th April at 3pm.

The girls have been selected from all over Scotland to spend an intensive six days together at Loretto School in Musselburgh, where they will fine tune the repertoire for the year ahead – a year that not only includes the first ever recording of the NYCoS National Girls Choir but also a coveted slot in the opening concert of the 2010 Edinburgh International Festival in a performance of John Adams’ masterpiece El Niño. A key piece for the recording will be An English Day Book by English composer Elizabeth Poston while Royal Harpist, Claire Jones, will accompany the girls, both at their performance at Greyfriars and at the recording session.

For the first time, NYCoS National Girls Choir will include a training group, allowing a greater number of young female singers to gain valuable experience of not only singing in a top choir but also to access the high standards of musicianship training offered by NYCoS. The training group will be lead by Charlotte Jackson, Founder and Director of the internationally acclaimed Amabile Girls’ Choir.

Book tickets online or by phone 0141 287 2856. Tickets will also be available on the door.

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The NYCoS National Boys Choir will be bringing their distinctive sound to Glasgow this Easter. The 120 strong choir, aged 10 – 15, will perform at 3pm on Wednesday 7th April at Glasgow’s City Halls.

Upon arriving at the City Halls, the boys will have spent an intensive six days together at Loretto School in Musselburgh learning and fine tuning their wide-ranging repertoire. During this residential course, the boys’ time will be split between full rehearsals, sectional rehearsals and musicianship training from highly qualified music staff. The concert marks the end of the course and will showcase the hard work and dedication of these young musicians.

The concert will present two very different sounds as the NYCoS National Boys Choir splits into two choirs: National Boys Choir (NBC), for boys with unchanged voices, and the Changed Voices Section.

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For the first time, prisoners in Scotland will benefit from large-scale arts education which has been shown in other parts of the UK and the world to contribute to a reduction in re-offending.
 
The Inspiring Change  project, which has received a £300,000 grant from the Scottish Arts Council, will take music, drama and the visual arts into Scottish prisons. Its evaluation research will extend our knowledge of how involvement in the arts contributes to a reduction in re-offending.
 
The unique and innovative project, involving seven major arts organisations in partnership with the Scottish Prison Service, was developed in response to the increasing prison population, projected to reach 8,700 inmates by 2016, and the desire to pilot new innovative ways of supporting learning and rehabilitation.
 
Statistics on the prison population are stark:
83% of prison sentences in 2005/06 were for 6 months or less and 57% of all prison sentences were for 90 days or less. 
Nearly half of offenders receiving custodial sentences in 2006/07 had already been to prison three or more times; nearly one in six had been to prison more than ten times. 
More than two-thirds of offenders are reconvicted within two years of a custodial sentence
90% of women in prison have drug and alcohol problems, and 75% have a history of abuse. The picture for male offenders and young people is similar.
An estimated 60% of prisoners lack sufficient literacy skills and 75% lack the numeracy skills to apply for 96% of available jobs.

An objective of the arts programme is to engage prisoners in projects which improve literacy skills. In addition, the projects will provide a connection with the prison learning centres with the aim of developing prisoner involvement with education.
 
Evidence from England and the USA shows that the arts have the potential to make a significant contribution to offender rehabilitation. 
 
Prisons and young offenders institutions report that rates of offending within the institution by people involved in arts projects decrease.  In 1999, a study by the Irene Taylor Trust at HMP Bullingdon, Oxford-shire, found that in the months following the final performance, there had been a reduction of 58% in the number of offences by the participants, compared with the six months before the project began.
 
The Inspiring  Change project will improve the access of offenders in five pilot prisons to three key media; music, drama and visual art.  A launch conference in February 2010 will bring together all the organisations involved - arts, the prisons service, criminal justice and academic researchers - to discuss the project and its evaluation. Inspiring Change will conclude with a further conference to assess its impact and disseminate learning. A travelling exhibition of prisoners’ work will tour Scotland in 2011.
Inspiring Change is a unique collaboration. It is the first time in Scotland that so many arts organisations have come together for any reason, let alone to develop innovative practice with prisoners.
 
Motherwell College, the project co-ordinator, is the lead provider of education in prisons in Scotland. The Scottish Prison Service is an active partner in the project. The arts programmes will take place in Barlinnie, Greenock, Open Estate (Castle Huntly), Shotts and Polmont Young Offenders Institute.
 
The award of £300,000 from the Scottish Arts Council has been supplemented by contributions, in-kind and financial, from the arts organisations themselves. The initiative will be the subject of a rigorous long-term evaluation programme and the project will also work with communities in Scotland to ensure that prisoners will have opportunities to continue to develop skills and interests in the arts after release.
 
Motherwell College Principal and Chief Executive Hugh Logan said:
‘As the lead provider of prison education in Scotland, Motherwell College is proud to be involved in this innovative project and working with a wide range of  Scottish arts organisations.  The College has been collaborating with the Scottish Prison Service to expand the current curriculum for offenders in custody. The project has a strong emphasis on the expressive arts and will use the arts to stimulate engagement with learning and improve literacy. The project will culminate in an exhibition of all the work produced by prisoners participating in the project.   A final conference on the arts in prison will present the findings of research to assess how far arts projects enable the development of skills, attitudes and behaviours that might help offenders decide to desist from offending.’

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Following a stunning performance at the BBC Proms in the Park 2009 of NYCoS National Girls Choir alongside world famous mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill, The National Youth Choir of Scotland is delighted to welcome Karen as the Patron of the National Girls Choir.

Arbroath born Karen studied at the RSAMD, Glasgow, the University of Toronto and the National Opera Studio in London and was the joint winner of the 2002 Kathleen Ferrier Award. 

Speaking about the role, Karen said: “It is a tremendous honour to be asked to be Patron of NGC, especially after hearing their wonderful performance at the BBC Proms in the Park at Glasgow Green. They are a fantastic group of girls already performing to such a high standard.


“The level of training, both musical and vocal is extremely high, provided by a devoted team of teachers, coaches, and of course, the wonderful Christopher Bell. Choral singing is a wonderful musical education, and it can be great fun making music with your friends. I can't wait to make music with them!”

Joan Gibson, Chief Executive of NYCoS commented: “We are delighted to have such a well known and talented performer as the Patron for NGC and we are all very excited about the contribution Karen will make to NYCoS.”

This latest addition adds to the patronage of NYCoS Choirs, giving our choirs excellent role models and a renewed sense of pride. Other patrons include Billy Boyd for National Boys Choir, Howard Goodall for NYCoS and The Right Honourable George Grubb, Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh for NYCoS Edinburgh Area Choir.

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Now with over 2000 young singers experiencing the joy of singing on a regular basis through a growing network of Area Choirs, the National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCoS) really is making singing accessible across Scotland.

The news comes with the launch of the organisation’s twelfth area choir – this time serving young singers in the Aberdeen area.  Around 80 Primary 4 children make up the Aberdeen Area Choir, attending weekly musicianship classes and choir practice in the University of Aberdeen Music Department. Each year, another group of P4 children will be selected until there is a full complement of P4 to S6 choir members.

Morag Simpson, Aberdeen Area Choir Director, said: “The children are all very enthusiastic and hard working and are already making a good sound. This is an extremely exciting venture and I’m already looking forward to their first concert in early December”.

This is the latest addition to NYCoS’ growing network of area choirs across the country – with choirs as far and wide as Dumfries and Stornoway.

Joan Gibson, Chief Executive of the NYCoS, states: “Having this number of your singers in our 12 area choirs is a fantastic milestone to have reached but the work of NYCoS doesn’t stop there.  Our wide range of activities reaches many more young people with our Mini Music Maker classes, education projects and 4 national choirs. No other youth arts organisation provides opportunities from cradle to adulthood– from baby Mini Music Classes right through to the flagship National Youth Choir with members up to 24 years”.

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The Scotsman's Kenneth Walton reviews Edinburgh Festival Chorus and NYCoS' fantastic performance of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius.

Read the full article here

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Following the success of its first series, The National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCoS) has launched a second series of songbooks showcasing thirty new songs for young people at the annual NYCoS Kodály Musicianship Conference on Sunday 30th August.

In 2006, as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, NYCoS commissioned 10 composers with a strong Scottish connection to write three songs each to complement our musicianship training programme. They were published in three songbooks Singbronze! Singsilver! and Singgold! The results were remarkable, avoiding any feel of an academic exercise and providing stimulating and imaginative songs for young people to sing. There have been multiple performances of the songs since then.

This second set of songbooks, with a further 30 songs, were officially launched at the NYCoS Kodály Musicianship Conference which took place at the University of Stirling on the 29th and 30th August – the only conference of its kind in Scotland.

Not only did delegates get to see and sing the new works for themselves, but they also had the opportunity to hear members of the National Youth Choir of Scotland perform a selection.  

Christopher Bell, Artistic Director of NYCoS said: “The first set of songbooks has been a great success, and to have yet more songs is like having thirty early Christmas presents. Our composers have really thrown themselves behind this project, and together we have crafted a wonderful resource for all choirs, school, community and high-level national groups.”

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Christopher Bell, Artistic Director of NYCoS, was awarded the Bank of Scotland Herald Archangel for a sustained contribution to Festival Edinburgh recently. Christopher is also chorus master of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, which was one of the finest ingredients in the Festival's opening concert performance of Handel's Judas Maccabaeus. The chorus is having one of its busiest Festivals ever, singing Verdi's Macbeth last night, Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet this coming Friday and Elgar's Dream of Gerontius, also featuring NYCoS, on the final weekend.

Bell was appointed chorus master in 2007 but as director of the National Youth Choir of Scotland his association with the Festival has previously included appearances by his young singers performing Messaien and Britten. NYCoS joins the Festival Chorus on the Usher Hall stage for the Elgar event this year, and the NYCoS Training Choir performed last week as part of the British Festival of Youth Orchestras, which takes a long established feature of the Fringe to the RSAMD in Glasgow.

Read the full article here.

See pictures from the awards here.

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NYCoS and the NYCoS Training Choir will be featured on the August 2nd edition of BBC Scotland's "Classics Unwrapped". The show will contain recordings from our Summer Concert A Celebration of Music from the British Isles in Perth. "Classics Unwrapped" runs from 8-10pm so be sure to tune in and relive the magic!

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Keep up-to-date on news, views and general goings on at NYCoS via Twitter. Follow us.

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The National Youth Choir of Scotland Training Choir will perform at the RSAMD on Monday 17th August at 1.00pm. This lunchtime concert forms part of the NAYO Festival, a celebration and showcase of the UK’s best young classical talent.

The NYCoS Training Choir represents 70 talented singers aged 15 - 19 drawn from across Scotland and will perform a wide variety of music from traditional to contemporary pieces. This year, the Choir will be directed by Michael Kibblewhite, well known in both the UK and abroad for his great work with young singers.

The concert marks the latest in a series of summer concerts for the Choir. Other dates include Saturday 18th July at Perth Concert Hall where the NYCoS Training Choir will sing alongside the National Youth Choir of Scotland in what promises to be a full and exciting show. The Choir will also be appearing at Stirling Castle on 17th July and at Greenbank Church, Giffnock on 16th August.

Tickets for the NAYO concert are available from the NAYO Festival website at a cost of £5 (£3 concessions). Children, students, those with disabilities and the unemployed go for free.

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The National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCoS) will be performing Music from the British Isles at its summer concert on Friday 17th July at 7.30pm at St Cuthbert’s Parish Church in Edinburgh.

Fresh from its residential course, this outstanding choir of Scotland’s young singers will perform a varied repertoire, allowing the singers to show off their vocal talents. The programme will include pieces by renowned British composers Sir Michael Tippett and James MacMillan. A highlight will be Kenneth Leighton’s Laudate Pueri  for three choirs, a cappella.

They will later be accompanied by the NYCoS Training Choir, conducted by Michael Kibblewhite, for a further performance at 3.00pm on Saturday 18th July at Perth Concert Hall.

Christopher Bell, Artistic Director and Conductor of NYCoS said “The auditions for both choirs this year have produced an outstanding line-up of singers. This will allow us to perform some multi choir music, alongside some of the British Isles’ outstanding choral classics. I’m very much looking forward to it all.”    

Tickets for St Cuthbert's can be purchased here.

Tickets for the Perth concert can be purchased here.

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Following the success of our Training Weekend in 2008 we are delighted to announce that application forms for our 2009 training event are now available. For further information, head over to our Training Events page.

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The NYCoS newsletter is full of news and articles about all of the NYCoS activities from the last year. With news on National Choirs, Area Choirs, Education Projects, Mini Music Makers, Publications and lots more, it is a worthy read! Download your copy here. This is quite a large file, so if you don't have broadband it may take a while to download.

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NYCoS has secured a sponsorship deal with law firm Pinsent Masons. The agreement has been set up for an initial one-year period, but both parties hope this will extend into a long-term relationship. Pinsent Masons will provide both cash and in-kind sponsorship for the first year, providing NYCoS with legal support and advice. In return, Pinsent Masons will receive hospitality opportunities for staff and clients as well as advertising opportunities.

Joan Gibson, Chief Executive of NYCoS says:
"We are so pleased to have Pinsent Masons on board, their advice and guidance is invaluable and in return we hope they can enjoy the benefits NYCoS has to offer"

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