26 November 2020

Photo: NYCGB 2020 Young Composer Amy Bryce, with NYCGB Artistic Director & Principal Conductor Ben Parry

---

Choir & Organ’s 2021 New Music Series to be in Partnership with NYCGB

---

It has been announced today that Choir & Organ’s 2021 New Music series is to be held in partnership with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. Over the course of the year, Choir & Organ will commission participants on the NYCGB Young Composers Scheme to write six new works, either for choir or for organ as a solo instrument.

A virtual celebration to mark the launch of the partnership will be held at 7pm on Sunday 6 December, available to watch on Facebook.

The event will include music and presentations by five past and present New Music composers, and by Ben Parry (NYCGB Artistic Director and Principal Conductor) and Andrew Nethsingha (Director of Music at St John’s College, Cambridge, Choir & Organ’s first New Music partner), as well as reflecting on some of the 87 composers who have written for the series since it began in 2006.

Ben Parry, who initiated the NYCGB Young Composers Scheme two years ago to give participants a chance to interact with the various choirs, commented:

I’m particularly delighted Choir & Organ got in touch with us with the possibility of collaborating together, because it’s another wonderful opportunity for young composers to upskill and become better composers, [and to develop their] understanding of how to write for singers and for organ as well.

Maggie Hamilton, Editor of Choir & Organ, said:

We’re excited to be joining forces with NYCGB and their Young Composers Scheme in 2021. Under Ben Parry, NYCGB has encouraged unparalleled numbers of young people to participate in choral singing at the highest level. This is the first time we have teamed up with youth choirs, and the range of ensembles within NYCGB means that the composers will be writing for singers with varying levels of vocal and sight-reading ability – a challenge in itself. Two composers will also have the opportunity to write for the organ for the first time.

Each composer will be featured in Choir & Organ and the scores will be available for free download for six months on the New Music page of the Choir & Organ website; the world premieres will be given by NYCGB.

Watch the Facebook premiere of Choir & Organ’s video celebrating 15 years of the New Music series and launching the 2021 partnership with NYCGB at 7pm on Sunday 6 December 2020.

 

NYCGB Young Composers Scheme Funders & Supporters:

Programme Digital Partner: NMC Recordings

Programme Innovation Grant Sponsors:

Steinberg Media Technologies (Technology Partner) and Stainer & Bell (Publishing Partner)

           

Supported by Principal New Music Sponsor & Programme Innovation Grant Sponsors (Technology Partner) Steinberg Media Technologies, Programme Innovation Grant Sponsors (Publishing Partner) Stainer & Bell, RVW Trust, The Finzi Trust, Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust, The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation, Britten Pears Arts and PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund for Organisations.