Page 32 - BYC10 Programme Pageflip

Barnsley Youth Choir Intermediate Choir
Barnsley Youth Choir’s Intermediate Choir was founded in 2015 for the purpose of bridging what was becoming a significant gap for young singers moving up from the Children’s Choir
to the Senior Choir who had just been very successful in the European Choir Games in Magdeburg earlier that year. The age range is 10 – 16 and they rehearse on the same night as the Senior Choir at Horizon Community College.
Will Jones was the conductor of the Intermediate Choir and led their debut song ‘Heaven’ in their first public performance in the 2015 Christmas Concert. I remember standing at the back of Emmanuel Church and feeling impressed by the bravery of children singing in 3 parts who just months before had perhaps had the safety
net of older, more experienced choir members to fall back on. Will and the choir worked tirelessly in those first months to make sure the debut was a success!
2016 brought large changes to the structure of the choir, with Assistant MD Sondelle Whitaker and Accompanist Gareth Green joining the team and bringing great support and expertise to the singers. The concerts that year brought the brilliant new burgundy dresses and ties to fully distinguish the Intermediates as its own unique choir. A highlight from the concerts has to be the 3 part version of ‘The Battle of Jericho’.
2017 saw Rob Cooper take over from Gareth Green as Accompanist for the choir. The Intermediates spent more rehearsal time with Eleanor Wright and Michelle Barnes to prepare new music for the trip to Edinburgh in 2018.
A large group of the Intermediate Choir went to Edinburgh and it was extremely special as for many it was their first trip away with the choir with highlights including Chatanooga Choo Choo, A Clare Benediction and Golden Slumbers.
This year Sarah Lucy Penny took over from Sondelle as Assistant MD and this year the choir have continued to
develop vocally and musically. We have gone from 60 members to 100+ members. We are now looking at more challenging repertoire, moving from 3 parts to 6 parts and including A Capella music. It won’t be long I imagine before we start having a Tenor section and have a go at tackling some of the music the Senior Choir used to sing back in 2015 when this choir were formed...
Thank you to all the musical team, registrars and volunteers that have been involved in the Intermediate Choir over these last 4 years. The work you have put in is shaping futures of these young people who will become key members of the BYC Senior Choir in years to come.
Luke Mather Musical Director
BYC Intermediate Choir (10-16 yrs)
Thursday 5.45pm – 8.00pm Horizon Community College
Musical Director
Luke Mather
Assistant Director
Sarah Lucy Penny
Assistant Director
Eleanor Wright
Accompanist
Rob Cooper
Mentors
Senior Choir Leaders
P32
10th Anniversary Concerts 2019