NYCGB Release Newly Commissioned Piece by Composer Thea Musgrave

16 July 2020

NYCGB Release New Commission by Renowned Composer Thea Musgrave

On this day the National Youth Choir of Great Britain would have premiered world-celebrated composer Thea Musgrave’s moving and poignant new NYCGB commission ‘By the River’ to an international audience at the World Symposium on Choral Music in New Zealand (WSCM2020). Instead, and with thanks to the wonders of digital technology, members of the National Youth Choir with Ben Parry, NYCGB Artistic Director & Principal Conductor, recorded the track from their homes in May. An accompanying video, made by current National Youth Choir member Henry Scott, is available on our YouTube channel.

Ben Parry said:

Although we are desperately sad not to have been able to tour to New Zealand and Australia as planned this summer and be part of the World Symposium on Choral Music, which was inevitably cancelled due to the current global pandemic, we are delighted to premiere this moving new piece recorded virtually by the talented members of the National Youth Choir. Huge thanks go to choir member Henry Scott, who has produced and edited a beautiful new video to accompany the piece, to Thea herself for this brilliant new work and to our generous funders the Golsoncott Foundation and the John S Cohen Fo