Page 3 - 16165 BYC Spring Concert Program 2023

We are pleased and thankful to have announced a new sponsorship agreement with ASOS who have also kindly agreed to sponsor the Gala Dinner taking place in May. They have really bought into the vision of the choir and we hope that this the start of a long-term positive relationship. We have maintained our vital support from Barnsley College as a Major Corporate Sponsor and we are incredibly grateful for all that
they continue to do to support the BYC community, providing rehearsal space for our central choirs. Barnsley College is outstanding in so many ways, and its commitment to young people across our town is wonderful. I’d like to extend profound thanks to all sponsors, patrons, supporters and partners for the support that they offer the organisation.
Finance continues to be a challenge for the choir,
with so many more children now needing additional support through our bursaries. Our subscription fees continue to be very low (around 1/3 of the cost of similar choirs) and we have not changed them for 4 years.
The commitment to inclusion and ensuring that every child can take part, no matter what their financial background is, does come at a cost and fundraising
will be crucial as the year progresses. We hope that you recognise the work that takes place and the difference the choir makes, and may be in a position to support us.
Work is starting on the NAVE following the capital funding that the council has secured from central government through the Levelling Up Fund. At this stage it’s important to state that the choir is not rich, at least financially! This money will be drawn down by the council and is specifically tied into the building - our struggle to maintain viability whilst keeping costs low continues. The building should be completed by March 2025, but there is clearly a lot of work that needs to be done. We are so grateful to the council, in particular
Sir Stephen Houghton, Sarah Norman and Kathy McArdle who have really invested in the project and continue to offer amazing support, alongside Honorary Patron, Dan Jarvis MP, who has had such a huge influence over the choirs over many years. The NAVE is an incredibly exciting project and we will share updates as the work progresses.
We have a fabulous Gala Dinner to look forward to, and the visit of two of the finest youth choirs in the world
– Tygerberg Children’s Choir from Cape Town, South Africa and the Aurin Choir from Hungary. Tygerberg Children’s Choir are the highest ranked Children’s Choir in the World and were double World Champions in 2018.
The Aurin Choir come from the most famous music school in the world, the Kodaly School in Kecskemet and any success that BYC has had is, in part, because of the support and guidance that Laszlo Duranyik and his choirs have offered since they first arrived in Barnsley in 2005.
The Senior and Intermediate choirs will represent Great Britain in the very important Hull International Choir Competition and there will be a performance from all of our Children’s Choirs at the Underneath the Stars Festival in August to an audience of over 2000 people. What an amazing programme of world class opportunities for our young people! Plans for
the future remain characteristically ambitious. We
are keen to take part it the World Choir Games in Auckland, New Zealand in July 2024 but fundraising will dictate whether this is viable for our young people, and we have an invitation to tour South Africa in 2025 with many more South African choirs committing to support the visit following the success of our visit in 2019. We also have plans to commission world class music following the success of commissions by Paul Mealor and Jake Runestad.
Finally, I must pay tribute to the amazing 60 strong volunteer team who, alongside the 16 strong music team, work so hard to support children in the choir. They are truly extraordinary and none of this work would be possible without their selfless and passionate support.
SPRING CONCERTS 2023
P3
Mat Wright Artistic Director