COURSES & MEMBERSHIP: What does membership involve? Expand This FAQ updated: 9 October 2018 National Youth Boys' Choir, National Youth Girls' Choir, National Youth Training Choir Choir places and NYCGB membership If your audition is successful, we will offer you a place in the National Youth Boys' Choir, Girls' Choir or Training Choir, depending on your age and current ability. If you haven't had a place in one of our choirs before, you'll pay a one-off NYCGB membership fee of £85 on accepting your place (financial assistance is available). This includes a concert folder, which you'll be given on your first course. Residential courses We offer all Boys' Choir, Girls' Choir and Training Choir members two residential courses per year. These are held in the majority of state school Easter and Summer holidays*. You can attend both, or one - it's up to you (but please see the Are courses compulsory? FAQ). * Training Choir members can choose one of two Summer courses. Special projects From time to time, we may also offer Boys' Choir, Girls' Choir and Training Choir members the opportunity to sing in one-off concerts or events. These special projects are always optional, and do not count as courses, so don't affect your membership if you can't do them. National Youth Choir Choir places and NYCGB membership If your audition is successful, we will offer you a place in the National Youth Choir for the coming academic year (September - August). If you haven't had a place in one of our choirs before, you'll pay a one-off NYCGB membership fee of £85 on accepting your place (financial assistance is available). This includes a concert folder, which you'll be given on your first course. Annual Programme and re-auditions Unlike other NYCGB choirs, the National Youth Choir operates a year-round Annual Programme of four projects. There is a non-residential introductory weekend in the Autumn, a non-residential Christmas concert project, a short residential course in the Easter holidays, and a long residential course in the Summer holidays. National Youth Choir members are expected to commit to three out of four projects in their Annual Programme, with participation in the fourth project optional. Another special feature of the National Youth Choir is that all members must re-audition annually to retain their place and to be eligible to take part in the following year's Annual Programme. Special projects We frequently offer National Youth Choir members the opportunity to sing in one-off concerts or events. These special projects are always optional, and financial assistance is available to support cost of participation if required.
AUDITIONS: Who can audition? Expand This FAQ updated: 20 September 2018 Membership of NYCGB is open to British citizens and anyone who is a resident of the UK at the time of application (excluding non-domicile applicants). Our choirs are age-specific. Girls can audition from School Year 6 and boys can audition from School Year 5. Our Age Ranges & Eligibility Table has full details. DOWNLOAD THE TABLE Please note (1): Book your audition on a convenient date, location and time and, if successful, the panel will allocate you to the appropriate choir for your age and ability. Applicants over 18 audition for National Youth Choir in June and applicants for Boys', Girls' and Training Choir audition in the Autumn. Please note (2): Boys undergoing voice change are welcome and encouraged to audition. We have a specialist ensemble within our National Youth Boys' Choir called Cambiata Voices which looks after boys through their vocal development.
AUDITIONS: When and where are the auditions? Expand This FAQ updated: 17 September 2018 We hold auditions for our choirs each Autumn at locations around the UK*. Auditions for the National Youth Boys' Choir, National Youth Girls' Choir and National Youth Training Choir are held in October/November. Booking opens in mid to late September. Auditions for the National Youth Choir are held in September. Booking opens in July/August. The auditions are earlier because the choir has a special Annual Programme which runs from November to August. All audition dates and locations are usually announced in late Spring/early Summer, and published to the Audition dates & locations page on our website: FIND OUT MORE Please note (1): You are free to choose the audition location which suits you best. If your audition is successful, you'll be invited to join the choir appropriate for your age/ability. Please note (2): We only publish audition locations, and not venues, for safeguarding purposes. Audition venues are usually located centrally and easily accessible by public transport. You'll receive venue details with your confirmation email when you book your audition. *We often offer audition days to current members on their Summer courses.
AUDITIONS: How much do auditions cost? Expand This FAQ updated: 20 September 2018. It costs £35 to book an audition, and you will also need to pay for your travel to the venue. If you receive free school meals, then your audition is free and we will also fully support your travel costs. To access this support, you just need to tick a box when booking your audition, and then complete a simple online form. If you are a current member of the National Youth Choir Annual Programme re-auditioning is free. Please note: We provide an official auditions accompanist at all audition venues, so you don't need to book / pay for your own.
AUDITIONS: How do I book an audition? Expand This FAQ updated: 17 September 2018 You book NYCGB auditions via a separate area of our website called My NYCGB. You can register for this area at any time, and create a user profile. Go to My NYCGB When auditions booking opens, you log in to My NYCGB and choose and book your audition from the dates and locations on offer. We have online instructions to help you, and if you get stuck you can always contact us: [email protected] or 0191 383 7355 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).
AUDITIONS: What do I need to bring to the audition? Expand This FAQ updated: 8 November 2018 You must bring sheet music for your accompanied song, in the key that you will sing it in, for the accompanist. We also recommend that you bring a bottle of water to keep hydrated, as not all our audition venues have drinking water facilities.
AUDITIONS: How can I improve my sight-reading? Expand This FAQ updated: 26 September 2018. We ask all audition candidates to do a sight-reading test, and other musicianship tests, as part of their audition. The kind of things you'll be asked to do depend on your age, and are listed on the How to prepare page: FIND OUT MORE A lot of people get worried about this part of the audition. The good news is that this is not the 'trick' bit where we are looking to catch candidates out. We want candidates to do well - and to help you we have a whole online course of musicianship videos, hosted on our YouTube channel. We'd recommend watching as many of them as you can, starting with the introduction. WATCH THE VIDEOS
AUDITIONS: What happens in the audition? Expand This FAQ updated: 17 September 2018 To find out what happens in the audition, and how to prepare to give your best, visit the How to prepare page on our website: click below. FIND OUT MORE
AUDITIONS: What are you looking for at audition? Expand This FAQ updated: 17 September 2018 We understand that every candidate is different, and that talent shows itself in different ways at different ages. However, here are some general guides to what we are looking for: National Youth Boys’ Choir (trebles and changing voices) (If in School Years 5, 6, 7 & 8 at audition) Demonstrate potential for improvement and enthusiasm for singing; Sing in tune, with a keen ear; Respond quickly to basic pitch and rhythm games. (If in School Years 9 & 10 at audition) All of the above plus the ability to respond to basic technical demands; Show basic sight-reading skills. National Youth Girls’ Choir (If in School Years 6, 7 & 8 at audition) Demonstrate potential for improvement and enthusiasm for singing; Sing with a clear, clean sound; reasonably free from breathiness; Sing in tune with awareness of intonation; Demonstrate basic sight-reading skills. (If in School Years 9 & 10 at audition) All of the above plus the ability to respond to basic technical demands; Sing with a clear, non-breathy voice; Demonstrate sight-reading skills including awareness of key signatures and melody including arpeggios as well as scales National Youth Training Choir (If in School Years 9 & 10 at audition) Sing with exceptional vocal ability for your age Sing with expression and musical intelligence Demonstrate more advanced sight-reading skills (equivalent to ABRSM Grade 3/4) (If in School Years 11, 12 & 13 at audition) Sing with secure vocal quality and the ability to respond to technical work within the choir Demonstrate an individual and expressive voice Sing with secure intonation and the absence of intrusive vibrato Sight-read at a level equivalent to ABRSM Grade 5+ National Youth Choir Sing difficult music with conviction and accuracy; Make an impression on the choir’s sound, combining individuality with the ability to listen and blend; Sight-read at a level equivalent to ABRSM Grade 6-7+; Sing without insecurity of pitch or vibrato; Perform with confidence, manifested in good posture, strong singing and the courage to take risks; Sing completely free of breathiness; Demonstrate the flexibility to blend and to change the sound; Sing without nasality (except when requested).
AUDITIONS: When will I get my result and what happens next? Expand This FAQ updated: 17 September 2018 Auditions 2018: for the National Youth Boys' Choir, National Youth Girls' Choir, and National Youth Training Choir: Audition results will be sent by email in mid December. If you're successful, we'll invite you to take a place in the appropriate choir for your age and ability. We will also allocate you a voice part (Treble/Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass). We will also send you instructions about how to accept your place and, if you're new to NYCGB, pay your one-off Membership Fee (£85). Once you've accepted your place and paid your Membership Fee, we will send you an invitation and instructions to book your Spring and/or Summer course for 2019. Please note(1): Your voice part can be re-assessed on each course so don't worry if you feel that your voice part might be changing, we'll support you. Please note (2): If you miss two consecutive courses then your membership will be deactivated and you will need to re-audition. Auditions 2018: for the National Youth Choir Audition results will be sent by email in late September. If you're successful, we'll invite you to accept a place in the National Youth Choir for 2018-19 and to participate in the ensemble's new-look Annual Programme which will run November 2018 - August 2019. Click below for more information. FIND OUT MORE