Page 8 - BYC Christmas Concert 2016

Barnsley Youth Choir
Senior Choir
The Senior Choir has established a top class reputation in this country and abroad. What is really pleasing to see is the development in younger members that we have invested in on tours to Germany, Sweden and the Edinburgh Festival. These experiences have helped them develop quickly and we have identified around 20 members who will be the next generation of BYC stars.
The recent performance at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester was a reminder of how far they have come. The Armed Man was a real challenge
and tested their technical skills. It was
so pleasing to see them thrive and they performed with skill, confidence and quality. We are indebted to Steven Roberts and Altrincham Choral Society for making this possible for our young people.
There have been a number of members that graduated from the intermediate Choir and a few new members that display vast potential. They have worked incredibly hard to learn new material, Kodaly warm-ups and settled in really well. We are particularly
proud of the boys section or, as they like to be called, the men! The younger boys have really matured and we have added a few new ones who have had a pleasing impact.
The journey that this choir has made is almost inconceivable. From a team of children that couldn’t read music and had little or no singing training in 2009 to a team now ranked 7th in World who sing pieces in 8 parts with ease; Pop, Gospel and Spiritual songs and more serious contemporary repertoire that we would have never dreamed of tackling when we first began. Ola Gjello, Benjamin Britten, Eric Whitacre, Karl Jenkins, Michael Tippett and Kim André Arnesen are a few of the composers whose music BYC now readily embrace. Luke Mather continues to bring a real quality
to our work and Gareth Taylor and Gareth Green ensure that Luke and I have top class accompaniments. It’s also pleasing to see the impact that Charlotte Veal, Helena Hunter, Gorgey Bennett and Tom Masters are having in their roles as section leaders.
Mat Wright
P8 Barnsley Youth Choir Christmas Concert Weekend 2016