National Youth Choir Northern Ireland launches its new National Boys’ Choir, supported by The National Lottery
14th April, 2023
The National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland (NYCNI) has launched its new National Boys’ Choir, supported by The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
Led by musician and conductor, Alison McNeill, the National Boys’ Choir has been created by NYCNI to draw on the talent of young boys, aged 9-12 years, from across the region and offer them professional training in choral singing. Following a series of workshops and auditions in schools, 50 successful candidates were offered a place to join NYCNI’s newest choir and participate in a three-day course over the Easter holidays.
Focusing on vocal training and musicianship, and run by NYCNI’s professional music team, the course culminates in a concert in The Great Hall at Campbell College this Friday 14th April at 3pm. The National Boys Choir will be joined for part of the concert by NYCNI’s Girls’ Choir which was founded last year for girls aged 14-15.
Artistic Director of NYCNI, Andrew Nunn, commented,
‘’We congratulate and welcome all these boys to our new NYCNI Boys’ Choir, in what is an exciting new development for us at NYCNI and for choral singing in Northern Ireland. With a deficit of male voices in choral singing, it is essential that we give young boys an opportunity and pathway to express and develop their vocal talent and musicianship. We hope these 50 young boys from all over Northern Ireland will progress over the years through our various choirs and hopefully some of them will find careers as the professional tenors and baritones of the future.”
This is NYCNI’s first foray into primary schools, building on its success with its other choirs; the Girls’ Choir, Junior Choir, Training Choir, Senior Choir and Chamber Choir.
Jo Wright, Arts Development Officer for Music at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added,
“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to support NYCNI, thanks to The National Lottery players. NYCNI is the foremost youth choral music provider in the training, development, and showcasing of our finest young singers in Northern Ireland and it’s heartening to see them create the new National Boys’ Choir adding to their excellent choir portfolio. I would encourage everyone to go along to the performance this Friday at Campbell College which promises to be an afternoon of uplifting and joyful music from some of the most talented young voices in the region.”
Tickets to the NYCNI concert at Campbell College this Friday 14 April at 3pm cost £5 and are available on the door. Visit www.nycni.org for more information.
