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For
years many musicians across Scotland had been pointing out that
while we had national youth ensembles for orchestra, strings, jazz
and brass, there was a lack of opportunity for young singers in
Scotland to participate at a national level and standard. As a result
of much work and effort on the part of
Christopher Bell (RSNO Chorusmaster) and Richard Chester, Director
of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, the National Youth
Choir of Scotland was formed in the early part of 1996, starting
as an initiative by the British Federation of Young Choirs (BFYC)
and its Scottish representative John Robertson. A Chairman was sought
and the organisation was very lucky to secure the services of Raymond
Williamson who helped in the appointment of a board and the setting
up of the company.
The first batch of publicity, the application form and first steps were organised by BFYC but very soon an excellent administrator was found in
Robert Tait. Bob had been a teacher and later an advisor in music for Fife, and in 1996 took early retirement. He was delighted to be approached to be the first administrator of the newly formed National Youth Choir of Scotland, a job that until August 2000 he undertook from his home.
July 1996 saw the first residential course for NYCoS
at Glenalmond School in Perthshire. As it was a new venture no-one, members and staff alike, really knew what could be achieved. In those first days the pattern for the NYCoS summer residential course was established and although it has been
developed and improved since then, it remains largely what was tried that very first year. The course is a mixture of sectional rehearsals, full choir rehearsals and individual singing lessons with recreation periods in the afternoon. Only two singing teachers were employed to cover all voice types. The programme was Brahms
Liebeslieder Waltzes and Orff Carmina Burana. Concerts were given in Perth and Aberdeen at the end of the July course, and again in August in Edinburgh and Glasgow as part of the National Association of Youth Orchestra's Festival (NAYO). In July the accompaniment had been pianos and percussion. In August the Southampton University Orchestra was pressed into service. The initial response was warm and encouraging, and the National Youth Choir of Scotland was born. In the Autumn 24 of the singers were invited to form the NYCoS Chamber Choir which participated in a choral evensong in St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh and a morning service in the Hallglen Centre of Falkirk Old and St Modan's Parish Church.
In
1997 the pattern of events was very much the same as the
previous year. A residential course in July at Glenalmond School
with concerts attached and a repeat appearance in August as part
of the NAYO Festival of Youth Orchestras. In 1997 the programme
was Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle . There were a number of innovations
this year. Four singing teachers were employed, one for each voice
type. NYCoS was joined during the residential course by a
Training Choir directed by Gordon Jack. During the residential
course NYCoS recorded two services for BBC World Service and BBC
Radio 3. This was also the year that the informal concerts were
born an opportunity for members of the choir to sing to each other
after the day's work was done. Concerts were given in Perth and
Aberdeen at the end of the July course, and once again in Edinburgh
and Glasgow as part of the NAYO Festival. The NYCoS Chamber Choir
was invited to present the choral finale at the opening of the Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meeting in the Edinburgh International Conference
Centre in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen. In addition the
Chamber Choir recorded a programme of Christmas carols for broadcast
on Christmas Day on BBC Radio 3.
NYCoS
- Mitchell Hall,
Aberdeen, 1998
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1998
was a definitive year in the development
of NYCoS. A number of big projects were undertaken almost
simultaneously. The residential course at Glenalmond contained
the usual elements including the second year of the Training
Choir. NYCoS prepared McEwan Six Songs for Female Voices,
Fauré Requiem, Gardner Burns Sequence and Leighton Hymn
to Matter. Concerts were given in Aberdeen in July with
piano, but in August NYCoS hired the Royal Scottish National
Orchestra to accompany the concert in the City Halls, Glasgow.
The following morning and afternoon were set aside to make
our first recording, a memorable day for all those involved
because a massive power cut disrupted the afternoon session
and prevented the recording being completed. NYCoS had to
reconvene the following December to re-record the final
piece and in early 1999 the first NYCoS CD was released.
Alongside all of this activity a significant development
was taking place in Edinburgh and West Lothian. Seeking
to have an impact on singing at all levels in Scotland,
NYCoS formed its first Children's Choirs recruiting 80 children
aged 7 and 8 in both these centres.
Staff were found and instructed in Kodály's techniques of
musicianship training and weekly rehearsals were a timetable
of musicianship classes in small groups alongside singing
sessions for all members together. This was a big step to
take, and treated as a pilot project to see how each choir
would develop.
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1999
began the realisation that NYCoS was growing beyond the
wildest dreams of all those involved, and certainly beyond
the capacity of one administrator to cope with in the confines
of his own home. The Edinburgh
Children's Choir and the
West Lothian Children's Choir continued to expand and
thrive, and during the residential course NYCoS and its
Training Choir enjoyed Duruflé Requiem with concerts in
Aberdeen and Stirling at the end, and Paisley and Edinburgh
in September. Yet nothing was ever standing still. Each
year saw yet more activity. A comprehensive website had
been set up and has expanded ever since, now boasting a
members only site accessible only with a password. NYCoS
first publication appeared in 1999, a book called Singing
Games and Rhymes for Early Years. Once again we were
trying to have a greater impact on another level, publishing
a book to encourage singing in Nursery, Primary One and
Primary Two. Our initial print run of 500 sold out within
two months and a revised version has been printed.
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NYCoS
- Paisley Abbey,
1999
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NYCoS - St Mary's Cathedral,
Edinburgh, Aug 2000
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During 2000, NYCoS realised it simply could not function
selling CDs, books, puppets and organising all that we had
become from Bob Tait's house. We were most fortunate to secure
office accommodation in the Mitchell Library in Glasgow, and
appointed Ruth
Townsend as Office Administrator. We also started four
more children's choirs with the help of partnership funding
from local authorities. The choirs in Edinburgh and West Lothian
were joined by others in Falkirk,
Dumfries, Dundee and Stirling along with the appointment
of Elaine Ellen
as
Children's Choir's Administrator.
And
did NYCoS and its Training Choir have a quiet year? Not
likely. The largest ever Training Choir had a new Director,
David Lawrence, excelling themselves in a very tricky programme,
and NYCoS did spectacular performances of Lauridsen
Lux Aeterna in Stirling, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Belfast
and Dublin. The Edinburgh performances included the Scottish
Chamber Orchestra for late night concerts by candlelight
and the photographs remind us
just what special concerts they were.
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2001
- NYCoS said goodbye to a founding father in 2001.
The needs of the organisation had expanded to require
full time administration, and for a second time Robert
Tait retired intent to play the golf he had planned for
his 'first' retirement. In April 2001
Ian Mills was appointed as General Manager with a
brief of pulling together all the disparate strands and
establishing a secure administrative and financial structure.
This was the year we ran two NYCoS Choirs. The choir that
had been building up over the previous years undertook
an extensive 11 day, seven concert tour of Sweden in July,
and in the run up to that had two residential weekends
in Stirling in January and April, with concerts in Falkirk
and Glasgow. This was the most finely honed singing group
in NYCoS history, and one which received many accolades
in both Scotland and during its tour of Sweden. But with
the reputation of the organisation growing, we could not
leave new applicants out in the cold for a year, so a
second choir, nicknamed NYCoS Scotland, undertook the
usual residential course and sang concerts in Aberdeen,
Stirling and in Glasgow. The NYCoS
Training Choir had a very successful residential course
at the same time, and furthermore had two singing days
itself during the year. NYCoS
Children's Choirs activity year runs in parallel with
the academic year and so to look at 2001 is to look at
half of one session and half another. All six choirs continued
their activities, with many more outside engagements being
undertaken. In particular Edinburgh and West Lothian choirs
sang with the Scottish Opera Orchestra as part of the
Children's Classic Concerts series, and both also took
part in Britten's St Nicolas with the BT Ensemble. And
Dumfries and Galloway recognised the geographical difficulties
of serving the whole region by opening a second choir
in 'the west' based in Newton Stewart. During 2001 the
seeds were sown for a major expansion of Staff Development
work undertaken by NYCoS Staff.
A catalogue of inservice sessions was published with hundreds
of requests as a result. Publications
and resources continued to be developed including
a booklet ‘My Voice is Changing’ written by Christopher
Bell.
Two new initiatives were begun in 2001. NYCoS secured
it’s first major sponsorship from a Scottish company when
Dunfermline
Building Society signed up for a two year deal to
support the NYCoS organisation. Late in 2001, a grant
was obtained from the National Lottery to pilot a
National Boys Choir. This new choir would meet in
2002 and become the latest addition to the NYCoS family!
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NYCoS - City
Hall,
Glasgow, Sept 2001 |
2002
- In February, 80 singers from NYCoS performed in front
of 60000 people during the half time break at the Scotland
v England Rugby international at Murrayfield. The newly established
National Boys Choir attracted over
150 applications with 60 boys meeting at Gartmore House for
a 5 day residential course in April followed by their inaugural
concert in Stirling. The high level of interest resulted in
the formation of a Junior Corps which met on two separate
occasions during the year. Applications for
NYCoS and NYCoS Training Choir
were higher than in previous years resulting in a 90 strong
NYCoS choir and 55 (mixed voices) in the Training Choir meeting
at Strathallan in July. The main NYCoS choir performed an
American and Scottish repertoire including the first ever
NYCoS commission - a piece by David Paul Jones. A
CD of Scots songs was released in December with the title
‘There’s Lilt in the Song’. 2002 saw the re-establishment
of the NYCoS Chamber Choir who
performed in Inverness in September.
The network of NYCoS Children’s
Choirs is now catering for around 1500 youngsters meeting
during the school term. More requests were received for choirs
to participate in ‘outside’ concerts – including an appearance
by members of Edinburgh and West Lothian choirs in the BBC
TV Watchnight Service programme. The Education and Outreach
programme continued to develop during the year with a number
of inservice courses in schools.
In addition, several NYCoS sponsored education seminars took
place – relating to ‘Early Years’, ‘Boys Changing Voice’ and
‘Jumpstart a Choir’. Two new publications
‘Singing Games and Rhymes for Tiny Tots’ and ‘Rhythm Flash
Cards’ were published that year. Workshops were held in several
local authority areas where
Christopher Bell rehearsed young singers and provided
information about NYCoS.
And in yet another extension of NYCoS singing activity, the
very first Mini Music Makers
session was held in Edinburgh. This project aims to engage
children and parent in singing activities from the earliest
stages, baby and toddler, as part of a natural continuum through
pre-school into primary and beyond.
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During
2003 the momentum of development was maintained with
the national choirs - NYCoS, NYCoS
Training Choir and the National
Boys Choir all attracting a larger number of applications
than in the past. Lottery Funding was obtained from the Scottish
Arts Council to support developments in boy's singing for
a three year period. An International Boy's Voice Conference
was held in Glasgow in May which featured the NYCoS
National Boys Choir along with the Cantemus Choir from
Hungary and the Manchester Boys Choir. A new
NYCoS Children’s Choirs was formed in
Renfrewshire bringing the total of NYCoS Children's Choirs
to eight. In June, members of the
NYCoS Edinburgh Children's Choir appeared at the opening
of the Scottish Parliament and later, a group met with HM
Queen.
2003 was a significant year for the flagship NYCoS
Choir. The choir was invited to appear at the Association
of British Choral Director's Convention in Birmingham followed
by a highly acclaimed performance of Messiaen Trois Petites
Liturgies with the BBC SSO in the Edinburgh International
Festival. In September, NYCoS again
joined the BBC SSO in Proms in the Park in front of a crowd
of 7000 and a live TV audience at the Science Park in Glasgow.
Two NYCoS members - Jonathan Waugh and Elysia Leech - represented
Scotland as members of the Rugby World Cup Choir in Australia.
The
final (and most unusual) performance of 2003 was to accompany
Christina Aguilera at the MTV Europe Awards Ceremony in Edinburgh
in November. This attracted a great deal of publicity for
NYCoS and provided an interesting
musical diversion for the singers - given that the repertoire
(all 2 minutes worth!) was quite different from the NYCoS
norm. The NYCoS Chamber Choir undertook
concerts in Paisley and Ayr sponsored by the University of
Paisley in addition to a concert in Dunfermline Abbey promoted
by our main sponsors - Dunfermline Building Society. This
sponsorship was recognised earlier in the year when NYCoS/Dunfermline
Building Society was nominated for an award by the Arts and
Business organisation. Outwith the programme of choir performances,
the most significant development during the latter part of
2003 was the growing demand from local authorities to involve
the NYCoS organisation in supporting programmes to develop
'vocal instruction' in schools. This was part of a national
Youth Music Initiative managed by the Scottish Arts Council
with funding from the Scottish Executive. The longer term
implications for NYCoS could be significant.
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Looking
back on 2004 the overarching theme is one of
continued expansion. Massive choral activity and a wide variety
of educational activities support had a consequential effect
on administration. During the early part of the year, funding
was secured to be able to advertise for, and appoint, an
educational projects administrator, a
finance officer and an office
assistant. They entered the office in August, almost under
cover, as NYCoS and most of the office staff had departed to
Chicago, USA for two weeks giving
outstanding performances of Walton Belshazzar’s Feast, Britten's
War Requiem and independent concerts as part of the Grant Park
Music Festival. 2004 was the year that the
NYCoS Chamber Choir that flexible ensemble made up of experienced
members of NYCoS began to undertake more performances. Appearances
at the EU enlargement conference in Stirling, the Scottish Business
in the Community Dinner in Edinburgh and The National Association
of Buildings Societies Dinner in Newcastle, a concert in Coates
Memorial Church in Paisley, and then 36 female voices sang Debussy
La Damoiselle Elue with the BBC SSO, conducted by Ilan Volkov,
at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. To round the year off, some
members were invited by the SRU to sing the national anthems
at three rugby matches in November.
The NYCoS Training Choir made its
own break for freedom. The Chicago touring choir had been recruited
over two years and in order to best accommodate the large number
of applications, an enlarged Training Choir was established
(in preference to the two NYCoS choirs run in 2001 – see above).
This Training Choir did its own concerts as part of the National
Association of Youth Orchestras Festival in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The Children’s Choirs were re-named
Area Choirs reflecting the inevitable fact that 14 year
olds don’t like to be called children. In addition to the weekly
cycle of rehearsals and termly concerts, other opportunities
were grasped as they presented themselves. As well as their
own appearance at the NAYO Festival, the Dumfries Area Choir
sang with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in the final concert
of Dumfries Arts Festival organised by Children’s Classic Concerts.
Members of NYCoS, Edinburgh and West Lothian Area Choirs took
part in the official opening of the new Scottish Parliament
Building in the presence of HM The Queen.
The National Boys Choir continued to
go from strength to strength. After a successful course and
concerts in April, in August NBC sang Britten War Requiem as
part of the Edinburgh International Festival with the BBC Scottish
Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ilan Volkov. A few weeks later
they were the only act to survive the high winds at the BBC
Proms in the Park in Glasgow, dashing indoors to sing The Road
to the Isles in a live link up with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
in London.
Alongside this high level of choral work, in the fields of education
and advocacy NYCoS made an increasingly significant mark. The
YMI Initiative mentioned in the 2003 history (with the feeling
of a footnote) became a huge part of NYCoS planning and activity,
as a result of the Scottish Executive’s wish to give parity
of vocal provision alongside instrumental provision for Scotland’s
primary children. NYCoS began to run activities in West Lothian
and Glasgow as part of the Youth Music Initiative, employing
staff, training and supporting others. Additional support to
seven other authorities was added throughout the year. The extensive
timetable of workshops and in-service activities alongside many
meetings to monitor existing provision and plan and develop
new schemes meant many miles were covered in 2004 in the promotion
and development of choral work in Scotland. Crucially, NYCoS
also became involved in a wider advocacy role, including representation
on various London based music committees and in many instances
provides a useful link between different parts of artistic activity
in local authorities in Scotland.
With Kodály becoming an educational buzzword in Scotland, NYCoS
ran its first Kodály Musicianship
Training weekend in Glasgow with 210 delegates attending.
In March we had published the
Go for Bronze Teacher Book, and later that year had a presentation
ceremony to mark the sale of 5000 copies of NYCoS first publication
Singing Games and Rhymes for Early Years. Truth was, like
many of our other activities, at the moment we were able to
find time to mark something, we found we had passed on to yet
another level.
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2005
may be the year in NYCoS history that people look back on
and wonder what we did in it. After all, in terms of obvious
milestones, it was the year between 2004 (Chicago tour)
and 2006 (the 10th Anniversary year). Yet, as you read on,
you will see this was no stop-gap year. Quite the opposite!
2005 contained its annual activities for the National
Boys Choir at Loretto School in April, with a concert
in St Cuthbert’s Church, Edinburgh, and NYCoS
and NYCoS Training Choir met
at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh in July with concerts
in St Andrews, Edinburgh, Ayr and Glasgow (including an
appearance in BBC Proms in the Park.) The NYCoS Chamber
Choir performed at three very prestigious events: the International
Kodály Symposium in Leicester, the Lamp of Lothian Concert
Series in Haddington and in Dunfermline Abbey in a concert
sponsored by Dunfermline Building Society. Music for NYCoS
included some ‘Rachmaninov Vespers’, and Five Movements
from ‘Gloria Patri’ by Sisask. Audience reaction was positive
throughout and confirmed the evolving artistic status of
the choirs.
Unusual, one off events that stick in the mind and mark
the year out. A small group of NYCoS singers appeared at
three prestigious functions – a dinner in Stirling Castle
hosted by the First Minister to mark the Wallace 700 celebrations,
the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Awards Dinner – also
hosted by the First Minister and a dinner for European Police
Officers hosted by the Lord Provost of Glasgow. As an experiment,
a subsidiary group of singers - NBC North - was set up in
Moray to cater for the level of interest shown by boys in
singing in that area. One of the most interesting series
of performances this year was the involvement of different
groups of singers from various NYCoS choirs at the General
Assembly of the Church of Scotland in May. Different groups
of NYCoS singers (NYCoS Chamber Choir, NYCoS Area Choirs
and NBC) performed on different days during the daily act
of worship, which opens each session of the Assembly and
received applause from the commissioners (which is apparently
a rare occurrence!).
NYCoS Area Choirs involving
around 1800 singers age 8+ in eight different locations
across Scotland continued to provide a valuable experience
for young singers. Choirs perform in their local areas -
of special note being the first appearance by the NYCoS
Edinburgh Choirs in the Usher Hall in a Gala Concert to
mark the departure of their founding choir Director, Elizabeth
McColl, who was moving to USA. Members of the NYCoS Falkirk
Choir took part in the Dunfermline Building Society AGM
and members of NYCoS Dumfries Choir appeared in the NAYO
Festival in Glasgow. The Dundee Choir once again appeared
with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera in a Children’s Classic
Concert in the Caird Hall.
It’s in the realm of educational support that the most dramatic
expansion in the NYCoS workload took place. With a full-time
educational projects administrator and the Scottish Executive
Youth Music Initiative really getting into its stride, an
increasing number of local authorities established partnership
projects with NYCoS. A diverse range of activities were
delivered (out of school choirs, staff training workshops,
providing resources) and, in Scotland’s largest local authority
– Glasgow – weekly vocal tuition sessions based on
Go for Bronze were delivered to Primary 3 pupils in
100 Primary schools by tutors employed by NYCoS directly.
With so much Kodály based school activity developing, the
Kodály Musicianship Training
Weekend was again held in the University of Strathclyde
in September. Over 300 delegates attended!
NYCoS facilitated the formation of a support network by
inviting local authority staff with a particular responsibility
for vocal activities to a meeting in the NYCoS office. In
May, NYCoS supported a staff training programme in advance
of the Tapestry
Conference in Glasgow. A workshop was also delivered
as part of the programme. NYCoS staff also participated
in conferences organised by Youth
Music (UK).
Educational publications continued to prove popular with
teachers and childcare workers. A new publication – Singing
Games and Rhymes for Middle Years – was launched in
September. The network of Mini
Music Makers expanded during the year with nine groups
now operating from Shetland to Dumfries and Galloway!
Exhausted as you might well be from reading about 2005,
now take a minute to go back to 1996 and scope out what
has happened since then. We think you’ll agree - its time
for a celebration!
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2006
was quite rightly dominated by events relating to NYCoS
10th Anniversary. The only part of the organisation that
was actually 10 years old was the National Youth Choir of Scotland
itself: the idea, however, was to celebrate the organisation
and it’s vision, which from 1996 sought to put singing at the
highest level on the agenda for young people aged 16 - 24, and,
where possible, to have an influence on developing singing work
for younger singers. In making plans to celebrate this, we wanted
to involve all parts of the organisation, National Choirs, Area
Choirs, Educational activities and Publications.
The year involved high level performances by the National Youth
Choir of Scotland. NYCoS performed with BBCSSO in Glasgow and
Aberdeen in April – both concerts receiving critical acclaim
from the media. The concerts were subsequently broadcast on
BBC radio. After the residential course in July, in August NYCoS
performed at the BBC Proms in London once again with the BBCSSO.
A BBC TV ‘Artworks’ programme crew filmed the summer course
and the Proms visit for a documentary, ‘Singing for Scotland’,
which was broadcast on BBC 2 in September. In Edinburgh’s Usher
Hall, accompanied by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra NYCoS
and 80 of its alumni took part in the 10th Anniversary Gala
Concert on 17th September, drawing superlatives from audience
and press alike and prompting the Scotsman newspaper music critic
to label NYCoS as ‘the best choir in Scotland’.
The first NYCoS national choir to meet was actually the National
Boys Choir in early April at Queen Victoria School, Dunblane.
At the subsequent concert in Horsecross (Perth Concert Hall)
a large audience heard the premiere of Saga
of the Seven Days by Tom Cunningham – a 10th anniversary
commission by NYCoS. NBC undertook its first tour in May when
it performed in Londonderry and Belfast. Elsewhere in the year,
NBC performed at the Paisley Choral Festival and members of
NBC Changed Voices appeared at a dinner in Stirling Castle for
UEFA delegates.
NYCoS Training Choir enjoyed an enhanced
status throughout the year. During the summer it performed in
Stirling Castle and Merchiston Castle School and in August took
part in the NAYO Festival along with the Changed Voice Section
of NBC. Later in the year, members appeared at six concerts
as part of Children’s Classics Christmas Concerts in Edinburgh,
Glasgow and Perth, and also at the Microsoft Conference Dinner
in Edinburgh hosted by the First Minister.
Early in the year discussions with the BBC about taking part
in ‘Songs of Praise’ offered a unique opportunity – fill the
City Halls in Glasgow entirely with NYCoS singers and raise
the roof on national television. 800 members of the NYCoS Area
Choirs, and members of NYCoS, NYCoS Training Choir and the National
Boys Choir recorded the programme with the BBC Scottish Symphony
Orchestra hosted by Sally Magnusson, which was broadcast on
26th November. Such national exposure brought many comments,
especially from people who “don’t normally watch ‘Songs of Praise’,
but just happened to see it!”
It’s usual in the arts world to celebrate by commissioning some
music. For our 10th anniversary we asked 10 Scottish composers
(or composers connected to Scotland) to each write three songs
to fit with our Area Choir musicianship training programme at
its three levels. The idea, and the subsequent publications
Singbronze,
Singsilver and Singgold
were very enthusiastically received by press and singers alike.
NYCoS branched into new territory during the year by publishing
‘Saga of the Seven Days’ and the three NYCoS Songbooks.
Several articles were written
in the press and specialist music publications highlighting
the achievements of the NYCoS organisation during its 10 year
existence.
The NYCoS Area Choirs also continued the annual round of recruitment
auditions, Christmas and summer concert presentations. NYCoS
Dundee Choir became the first NYCoS Area Choir to perform abroad
when it visited the Dundee twin city of Orleans in France in
October 2006. West Lothian Choir said goodbye to Lucinda Geoghegan
as Choir Director with a celebratory concert in St Michael’s
Church, Linlithgow.
The Educational support programmes continued to be in great
demand. YMI work, impossible to sum up in one sentence, was
fundamental. Concerned that last year’s conference was getting
too large, NYCoS organised two Kodály
Musicianship Training Weekends - in Glasgow (where delegates
were addressed by the Scottish composer James MacMillan) and
Inverness, and supported a third in Fife – over 450 delegates
in total.
NYCOS, as an important provider of CPD, was represented on a
national steering group to advise on a study into training needs
for Music Education.
Mini Music Makers activities
expanded. In addition, NYCoS became involved in a YMI funded
Bookstart project to
provide training for library Rhymetime leaders across Scotland.
NYCoS was involved at a number of national conferences and events
eg: Scottish Association of Music Education, Singposium North,
SAC Ballyhoo Exhibition, Paisley Choral Festival. A National
Youth Music Strategy was published in November 2006 at the launch
of which, NYCoS was quoted as a good example of an organisation
which combined high artistic and educational qualities. We even
began to have some representation in England where the Music
Manifesto programme had identified similar issues re vocal education,
to the experience in Scotland.
Within our NYCoS office it was goodbye and hello, in one case
to the same person! Elaine
Ellen stepped down as Area Choirs Administrator, but took
up a new post as Publications Administrator. Lorna
Rudden succeeded her in a full time post which recognises
the amount of work needed with the Area Choirs alone. Ronnie
Maciver departed as Finance Officer and Tony
Smith was appointed. Paul McGrath
became Office Assistant and Ruth
Townsend was re-titled National Choirs Administrator. Desks
moved, computers replaced, new cabling: we even got access to
some shelves in the library proper to start shelving and cataloguing
the large library of choral music we were amassing. After such
a packed year, it was time for a quiet life, time to ease off
the pedal, time to coast a little…
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