Millennium Youth Choir
Encyclopedia
The RSCM
Millennium Youth Choir is a British choir
for singers aged between 16 and 23. It is the RSCM
's leading national choir.
In 1999 the Archbishop of Canterbury
at the time, George Carey
, suggested its formation and it gave its first performance in the Millennium Dome
in London
.
The choir has around 40 auditioned members in each season. The choir meets 3 times a year for courses around the United Kingdom
and abroad, singing in some of the country's finest churches and cathedrals.
:
on Radio 2
, Radio 3
, Radio 4
, Radio Wales
and BBC One
on the Songs of Praise
programme.
In September 2009 the choir made its BBC Proms debut, joining members of other UK-based youth choirs to perform Handel's Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall with the Northern Sinfonia, conducted by Nicholas McGegan.
In 2002 the choir recorded their first album, A Land of Pure Delight. In 2007 the choir recorded another album as part of the RSCM's 80th anniversary celebrations, entitled Out of the Stillness.
Royal School of Church Music
The largest church music organisation in Britain, the Royal School of Church Music was founded in 1927 by Sir Sydney Nicholson and has 11,000 members worldwide; it was originally named the School of English Church Music. It seeks to enable church music in the present and invest in its future,...
Millennium Youth Choir is a British choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
for singers aged between 16 and 23. It is the RSCM
Royal School of Church Music
The largest church music organisation in Britain, the Royal School of Church Music was founded in 1927 by Sir Sydney Nicholson and has 11,000 members worldwide; it was originally named the School of English Church Music. It seeks to enable church music in the present and invest in its future,...
's leading national choir.
In 1999 the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
at the time, George Carey
George Carey
George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton PC, FKC is a former Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1991 to 2002. He was the first modern holder of the office not to have attended Oxford or Cambridge University...
, suggested its formation and it gave its first performance in the Millennium Dome
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The choir has around 40 auditioned members in each season. The choir meets 3 times a year for courses around the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and abroad, singing in some of the country's finest churches and cathedrals.
Conductors
The choir has been led by a number of conductors associated with the RSCMRoyal School of Church Music
The largest church music organisation in Britain, the Royal School of Church Music was founded in 1927 by Sir Sydney Nicholson and has 11,000 members worldwide; it was originally named the School of English Church Music. It seeks to enable church music in the present and invest in its future,...
:
- 1999-2001 : Martin NearyMartin NearyMartin Neary LVO is an English organist and choral conductor. He was Organist and Director of Music at Winchester Cathedral from 1972 to 1988, and Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey from 1988 to 1998...
- 2002-2004 : Gordon Stewart
- 2005- : David OgdenDavid Ogden (conductor)David Ogden, is a conductor and composer, directing choirs, choral and church music workshops, courses and festivals in the UK and abroad.-Career:David Ogden is a freelance conductor and composer...
Recordings, concerts and broadcasts
The choir has made numerous broadcasts for the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
on Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
, Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
, Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales is the BBC's national radio station broadcasting to Wales in the English language. Operated by BBC Wales, it began broadcasting on 12 November 1978 following the demise of the old "Radio 4 Wales" when BBC Radio 4 became a national network and moved from medium wave to long wave...
and BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on the Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
programme.
In September 2009 the choir made its BBC Proms debut, joining members of other UK-based youth choirs to perform Handel's Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall with the Northern Sinfonia, conducted by Nicholas McGegan.
In 2002 the choir recorded their first album, A Land of Pure Delight. In 2007 the choir recorded another album as part of the RSCM's 80th anniversary celebrations, entitled Out of the Stillness.
External links
- Official website
- http://www.davidogden.co.uk/ The website of the current conductor, David OgdenDavid Ogden (conductor)David Ogden, is a conductor and composer, directing choirs, choral and church music workshops, courses and festivals in the UK and abroad.-Career:David Ogden is a freelance conductor and composer...
- The RSCM's page on the choir