News

Latest - Summer 2007

General Manager Steps Down
PR Person Arrives
Aberdeen University Starts Kodály based CPD course
NYCoS in Loretto Over Easter
NYCoS Tour Hungary 2007
NYCoS to Sing at Proms in the Park
Two New NYCoS Area Choirs for September 2007

Previous News

Summer 2007

General Manager Steps Down
Ian Mills, NYCoS General Manager has indicated his intention to resign effective late Autumn 2007. He plans to move into consultancy in the areas of the Arts and Education. Ian has been with NYCoS since April 1st 2001, succeeding Bob Tait who was the first administrator. Over the last six years Ian has been instrumental in consolidating and expanding the Glasgow office, developing opportunities for NYCoS work, most notably in the area of education, and has also been an energetic advocate for NYCoS work right across Scotland and beyond. As a former Director of Education in East Dunbartonshire Ian was ideally placed to establish NYCoS in educational and arts administration circles, and has become a past master at deciphering official documents, especially funding application forms. A further appreciation of Ian’s work will appear later in the year. In September the post will be advertised with the intention of interviewing for a replacement in October.

PR Person Arrives
Over the last 12 seasons NYCoS Marketing and Communications work has been done as part of individuals responsibilities within their own areas. In last year’s funding application to the Scottish Arts Council an argument was made for the appointment of a dedicated person. The SAC agreed to fund the post and following interviews in May, Joanna Lennox was appointed and started work at the beginning of June. We welcome Joanna and look forward to the opportunities such a new post will bring for NYCoS.

Aberdeen University starts Kodály based CPD course
We are thrilled to announce that Aberdeen University will be running a Continuous Professional Development course at Masters level called Music, A Pathway to Learning. It has been an aspiration for NYCoS for a number of years to be involved in a formal Kodály qualification and we have developed a good working relationship with the music department in Aberdeen. Click here to be taken to the Aberdeen University website for further information.

NYCoS in Loretto Over Easter
That’s a big choir you might think but in reality we are referring to two separate courses and four separate choirs. 160 members of the three different National Boys Choirs took the first course before Easter. NBC is an established fixture in NYCoS calendar, and this year’s course was extremely good, showing the fine development of the Changed Voice Group, the potential in the Junior Corps and allowing NBC to premiere five sea shanties arranged by Sheena Phillips. Then, after Easter, with only two days to recover, we were back to run the very first National Girls Choir course with 80 singers between 13 and 15 years old. Any initial nervousness on our part (how different might a girls course be?) was dispelled quickly as the usual work/play ethic was established and the music began to be created. An outstanding first concert in the Queens Hall, Edinburgh set the bar at a high level for future years. Check out the press review on our reviews page (and also the reaction of the members). Roll on 2008.

NYCoS Tour Hungary August 2007
85 members of NYCoS embarked on a 9 day tour of Hungary at the end of August. 7 concerts were given including St Stephen's Cathedral and the Mathias Church in Budapest, the Great Reformed Church in Debrecen and the concert hall of the Kodály School in Nyíregyháza. Hungary was an obvious choice to tour for an organisation which has put the principles of Kodály at its heart . Each NYCoS concert was greeted very enthusiatically by large crowds who were able to recognise the quality of the group and responded with the characteristic slow handclap which demands yet more encores. The choir was described as outstanding, professional quality, and its conductor as a magician! They left with invitations to return in the future. In October 2007 Cantemus mixed Choir from Nyíregyháza will perform in Scotland in a "return match"

NYCoS to sing at Proms in the Park 2007
The BBC proms is styled The Greatest Music Festival in the World and in recent years has included concerts in other centres as part of the very famous Last Night of the Proms. In 2007 NYCoS has been invited to return to the Proms in the Park in Glasgow on Saturday September 8th. We will join a list of stars including presenters Sally Magnusson and Jamie MacDougall, bass baritone Jonathan Lemalu, cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (Robert Ziegler conductor) and the Peatbog Faeries.

Two New NYCoS Area Choirs for September 2007
Since 1998 NYCoS has been developing choirs for young singers between the ages of 8 and 18 based in local authority areas. Edinburgh and West Lothian were the first, followed by Dundee, Dumfries, Falkirk and Stirling. Dumfries added a second choir in Galloway and the latest addition four years ago was Renfrew. And so it has remained at eight area choirs; until now. Over the last couple of years we have been working to create the right connections to try and establish some more, and we are delighted to announce that in September 2007 two new choirs, Mid Lothian and Isle of Lewis, will be starting bringing the total to ten. And rather exotically, the NYCoS Isle of Lewis Choir has a Gaelic title: Coisir Naiseanta Oigridh Alba

Spring 2007

More boys than girls apply for choir
Now that's unusual: more boys than girls applying for a choir. It's not the same choir of course. The 260 applicants for NBC are new and returning applicants for a choir that has been established for six years now, and has a track record for encouraging boys to sing and sing well. The 160 girls applying for National Girls Choir are applying for a brand new choir ­ the word has still to spread, and the choir has not sung a note therefore has no reputation with singers and audiences alike. So, like all headlines, it's a provocative teaser that requires further exploration to get at the facts behind. By the time you read this, the audition roadshow will be on its way, travelling round Scotland to hear the talent. Will it be a bumper year for the boys choir? What will the girls choir be like?

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Phone in an audition?
Not quite, but for the first time we have allowed an audition to take place using the high quality video and sound link in the BBC Studios in the City Halls in Glasgow. Many remote regions of Scotland use video links to undertake teaching and so we wanted to explore the possibility for auditionees. The candidate this time was a boy from Stornoway, who sang online and also sent a CD as backup.

Once we have assessed the procedure we will be able to decide whether we can use this method in future in circumstances where it will be difficult or exceedingly expensive for a candidate to travel to audition.

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NYCoS Training Choir is busy
NYCoS' name has been in high profile concerts recently featuring the fine young singers in the Training Choir for the first time. NYCoS repertoire for the last year has been focussed on large scale pieces with orchestra and not on smaller scale pieces that can be revived for concerts or dinners etc. The Training Choir regularly does short pieces, and in addition has an annual cycle of rehearsals in November and March which allows for other repertoire to be worked on. In December, Children's Classic Concerts wanted 20 carol singers for its Tinseltime programme in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth ­ six concerts in total. We also have an invitation to sing for the First Minister when he hosts a dinner in Edinburgh for an international line-up including Bill Gates. The committed members of the Training Choir have acquitted themselves well and been highly complimented. Watch out NYCoS ­ you'll need to put your best foot forward.

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Support for Area Choirs
The Robertson Trust, long time supporters of NYCoS have taken an opportunity to double their contribution to £10,000 for the next two years to support the work of the Area Choirs. Such generosity will allow us to maintain the current network, provide training for our staff, and expand into other areas of Scotland as appropriate.

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Summer 2006

BBC Proms
The largest ever NYCoS choir travelled to London in late July (10 hours on three coaches, only one air-conditioned) to take part in the London Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. For the 2006 newsletter we will gather some of the members thoughts in detail. It was a real privilege to be involved in such a prestigious concert, with a world premiere, and two great pieces with orchestra. In addition NYCoS sang three un-accompanied pieces ourselves to universal acclaim. Key comments were about the impressive tuning, diction and energy. Check the reviews page to read press comments from the Independent, Scotsman, Herald, Telegraph and Guardian.

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Nearly 10 for the 10th Anniversary
Since 1998, NYCoS has been developing Area Choirs, the original two in Edinburgh and West Lothian being added to in 2000, and the youngest, Renfrewshire, the most recent in 2003. Mid Lothian have recently expressed an interest in forming a choir, the ninth NYCoS Area Choir. Staff have been appointed, and the new Director is James Young, still with the Edinburgh Choir. The plan is to start some recruitment once the schools return in August and we hope to have the choir up and running after the October break.

It would have been rather delicious to be able to announce a 10th choir in our 10th anniversary year. Suffice it to say we can’t actually announce that just yet, but interest has been shown in a couple of other areas of Scotland. We may get the green light before the end of the year, but the choir is unlikely to be actually started by then. So its really nearly 10 for the 10th anniversary.

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Lights / Camera / Action
During our residential course, during our London trip, and even between the two, a BBC film crew was recording material to make a TV programme for BBC2 Scotland called Artworks. Artworks covers all aspects of cultural life in Scotland from traditional arts practices such as theatre, dance, music and visual arts to fashion, design, photography and popular culture. For the 30 minute films the BBC looks for strong characters, clear narratives and a contemporary resonance. We think they easily found some strong characters speaking fairly directly about their NYCoS experiences. Celebrating 10 years of NYCoS, and our invitation to the BBC Proms, cameras intensively followed staff and three choir members, and interviewed many others to get enough footage for the programme. Current broadcast date is to be September 10th 2006. Check BBC schedules for actual details.

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James MacMillan to speak at Kodály Conference
We are delighted that one of the world's leading composers, James MacMillan, will open NYCoS third annual Kodály Musicianship training weekend in Glasgow as keynote speaker. James is a thought provoking speaker, and has strong views on music in Education. We look forward to what he will have to say to us on 2nd September. The course is full for a third year running. A packed agenda of activities attracted a large number of applicants. There are still places in our second Kodály musicianship weekend in Inverness. Check here for details.

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Spring 2006

NYCoS Auditions 2006 complete: To date 114 places to be offered in the largest ever NYCOS

It has been said before - largest ever NYCoS in 2004, largest ever Training Choir in 2005, largest ever Changed Voice section in NBC 2006. Yet this one is not just a bit of useful spin on a statistic. This one is truly a bit mind-boggling. This year's round of auditions produced a huge number of Sopranos and Baritones with a very high standard- the question of course was "can we find tenors and altos to balance". And the answer has been a resounding yes. Tenors are always a bit thin on the ground, but this year we have 14, a very healthy number of new and existing talent.

It will all be in vain if the people offered don't take up their places. So for that we have to wait and see. And who knows what it has been that attracted such a high standard of applicant in such huge numbers. A tour - the London prom - the 10th anniversary gala? Whatever it was - the result is good. Lets imagine the sound of that first chord of Bernstein Chichester Psalms in the Albert Hall, and the Poulenc Gloria in Edinburgh. Delicious.

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NYCoS gets National Press

In the last few weeks NYCoS has been featured in Music Teacher Magazine, and been highlighted in an article about Kodály in BBC Music Magazine. Click here for copies of recent articles in BBC Music Magazine and Music Teacher.

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NYCoS First Music Publication at the presses

NYCoS musicianship publications are known in many classrooms and choir musicianship sessions not only in Scotland, but further afield. 2006 sees a further development in NYCoS publishing terms, that of publishing music for singing in choir.

NYCoS has commissioned Scots composer Tom Cunningham to write a piece suitable for the National Boys Choir. The Saga of the Seven Days is a 25 minute work for upper voices, narrator (optional) and piano. Having been involved so heavily in the creation process, Christopher Bell was keen to follow the process through, helping edit, influence layout and the feel of the final publication. NYCoS sense of ownership of the publication means that we will be seeking to publicise it fully and try and get many other performances of the work. Click here to view the cover and read more about the piece.

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Arts Council Raises Support for NYCoS

The Scottish Arts Council has undertaken an assessment of the work of NYCoS to decide on the allocation of funds for 2007-8 and beyond. We had been delighted to get the news that NYCoS had been granted Foundation status, the equivalent of core funded. After a meeting with our lead officer at the Arts Council we were thrilled to hear that our core funding was to rise from £26,000 to £76,000. Noted within the assessment was much praise for our pyramid structure, with opportunities to develop singing from Mini Music makers through staff training, schools workshops, Area Choirs through to the National Choirs. Although this funding application was not directly associated with Youth Music Initiative, being for the core choir activities, NYCoS developing partnerships and programmes associated with YMI were acknowledged and praised.

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Winter 2005

NBC North
Eagle eyed observers may remember a brief mention on our website some time ago about a choir based in Moray. A number of years ago, Jane Ferguson, one time senior specialist teacher and the fine team of specialists there gathered 120 boys for a Test Drive singing day. The result was fun, but not one of those boys, despite their enthusiasm, applied for NBC. Once again, last year a huge number of lads came together and the same thing happened. If the mountain won’t come …

So in the first instance we planned another singing morning, which happened on 17th November. Thereafter two related NBC North days, with musicianship training and singing sessions are planned. The first happened on 27th November [just after the snow and train derailment] 28 boys became the first members of that NBC North. Who knows how that might build, and one day some singers may eventually make the big trip south to be part of the residential course.

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NYCoS Training Choir comes full circle
The NYCoS Training Choir is exactly that, singers in training to become part of NYCoS. The members take part in the annual residential course running identical activities alongside NYCoS, with the same diet of singing lessons, vocal coaching and tutti sessions. There is a largely discrete staff, with a separate director: Gordon Jack (three years), David Lawrence (four years) and Stephen Williams and Sue Hollingworth for one year each. Where possible the two choirs are brought together to sing something together (in 2005 it was Chichester Psalms) to allow the members to integrate and have an inspirational experience.

The principle difference of course is a less pressured existence in terms of intensity of rehearsals and the spotlight on the performances. With ever higher profile concerts, it would be unfair to put singers into that cauldron before they were ready. In addition we organise training days during the year to allow the singers to develop further.

Yet remarkably, ten years is a long time in singing development, and at a recent Training Choir singing day in Edinburgh, staff in attendance were able to note that the 2005 Training Choir sings at a higher level than the NYCoS meeting for the first time in Glenalmond School in 1996. A number of factors helped this not least the members who had benefited from NYCoS Area Choirs and National Boys Choir.

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Missing people are being found!
You will see from the homepage MISSING button that we have lost contact with some ex-members of NYCoS. The button has had an effect because in the last few weeks three members have made contact – they either noticed it themselves or had someone else point it out to them. If you haven’t had a look, please look now and if you see someone you know you can push our way please be in touch with them.

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Friends re-united
Do you know that there is a National Youth Choir of Scotland section on the website Friends Reunited? Just a few names there at the minute – if you are an ex-member add yours and let’s swell the numbers.

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NYCoS prints more Christmas cards than before
Can you have too many friends? In NYCoS terms certainly not, and around this time of year we start the task of gathering together lists of members, friends, staff, funders, contacts and … The list gets longer every year, and the staff resist the urge to have signatures printed on them and sit signing them all in person. If you do get a card from us, please take a moment to think of the RSI as we all sign them, and also look closely at the list of achievements in 2005. A vintage year which we couldn’t possibly beat in 2006 – I mean: what’s left? Well actually…

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NBC books Horesecross and takes off for Ireland
What on earth is Horsecross you might say? Well – Perth is now sporting a brand new concert hall which is called Horsecross. It seats 1200 people which is a lot more than we normally get to an NBC concert but that audience has been growing and we have done very little publicity before. We hope to attract our usual 600 and make some headway to dent the other 600 with a high profile publicity campaign. All of this as part of an expansion of Boys Choir activity.

We plan to take the choir on its first tour as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations. Northern Ireland may seem an unusual place to start, but NYCoS Artistic Director’s homeland has hosted a number of tours from Scotland under his direction and all have been very successful. The choir will stay in Garron Tower, a school in an idyllic coastal location and give concerts in Belfast and Derry. The experience will take the name of NBC and the work of NYCoS to yet another audience and, we hope, begin the process of propelling NBC into the spotlight it deserves. Watch this space.

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The Chicago experience
We thought we should dedicate some pages on our website to last year's major event - the trip to Chicago. We have: background to the trip, reviews from both sides of the Atlantic, a few photos, and a journal from our very own Hazel Younger. To view the pages roll the mouse over the Latest button then click the Chicago button, or click here.

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