The kids are going on-line: new initiatives from the National Children's Orchestra, and the National Youth Choirs

National Children's Orchestra

With the continuing uncertainty over live-performance, youth ensembles are going on-line. Both the National Children's Orchestras (NCO), and the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain (NYCGB) have announced on-line initiatives for this Summer and beyond.

The National Children's Orchestras has launched a new on-line initiative for its Summer 2020 course. A three-week digital programme has been created, in consultation with the children and their parents and the result is a highly varied series of webinars and on-line events with five categories of activity: Inspiration, Let's Create, My Instrument, Wellbeing and Pic'n Mix, with on-line guests including actors Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig, film composer Rachel Portman, players from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and London Mozart Players, and harpist Anne Denholm.

Currently, over 450 children, aged between 7 and 14 years old, have signed up to take part, and the course will culminate on 6 August 2020 with a special on-line multi-track Mambo concert. Full details from the NCO website.

The auditions for the National Youth Training Choir, National Youth Girls' Choir and the National Youth Boys' Choir will be taking place as usual this Autumn. Previous, auditions have been held in cities across the UK, but this year the auditions will be held on-line, via Zoom, so that children can audition from their homes.

National Youth Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs members are aged 9-14 and National Youth Training Choir members are aged 15-18, and these are just three of the choirs run by NYCGB, which is also home to the National Youth Choir and National Youth Chamber Choir for members aged over 18.

The auditions are open for booking from Tuesday 9 September 2020, and financial assistance is available to support those who require support with the cost of auditions and if offered a place the future ongoing costs of membership, courses and travel.

NYCGB is running a series of free online open events this August for anyone interested in finding out more about what it’s like to be a member of the National Youth Girls’, Boys’ or Training Choir. Further details will be announced shortly.

Full details from the NYCGB website.

National Youth Choirs of Great Britain