Reflecting on the Summer as a Young Conductor with National Youth Choir

I’ve had the privilege of spending this year as one of two Young Conductors on National Youth Choir’s Emerging Professional Artists programme, and it’s been one of the most fulfilling and creatively stimulating years I can remember. It’s also been one of the busiest — but I’ve loved every second of it.

As someone who also works for National Youth Choir as Programmes Manager (Recordings & Production), I’ve had the slightly unusual experience of seeing this organisation from multiple angles at once. Sometimes I’m behind the glass producing, sometimes I’m standing in front of the choir conducting, and sometimes I’m in the middle of it all singing. Wearing all these hats at once has been fascinating — each one informs the other, and I feel that this year has tied all of those threads together in a really satisfying way.

National Youth Choir (18-25 Years) spring course

The summer began in Blackpool, where we spent a week preparing for our performance at the Three Choirs Festival. The last NYC course that I had the pleasure to sing on was back in 2023, so it was a real joy to return to the choir, this time as an Emerging Professional Artist. The repertoire that we were performing was very varied, ranging from heart-wrenching classics like the 'Agnus Dei' from Martin's Mass for Double Choir, to incredibly beautiful pieces like Pizzetti's Cada la sera, which was entirely new to me, and has prompted an exploration into the amazing world of contemporary Italian choral music.

Filming session for Roderick Williams’ ‘I’m Here’

Part-way through the course, I had the rather strange experience of transitioning into my role as Producer since we had a day-and-a-half of recording sessions. The first thing that we recorded (and filmed) was I'm Here by Roderick Williams, which we premiered at the Three Choirs Festival. The piece is centered around the idea of belonging, and has text inspired by the words of NYC 18-25s' members which they wrote on their return from the tour to South Africa. It was amazing to see how much the piece meant to the choir, and it was an honour to be able to help them capture its first recording alongside my brilliant friends & colleagues David Jones and Ben Tomlin (Audio Engineer and Director of Photography, respectively).

The following day, we went on to record four fabulous new works written by this year's cohort of Young Composers. I've had the great pleasure of producing these recordings for the past couple of years (having sung on every disc in the series prior to that), but this year was particularly special, as I was getting to work directly with my peers in this year's EPA cohort. I really felt that I got to know them better (as composers and as people) throughout this process, and it's something that I'm not going to forget quickly.

After these recording sessions, we had our final round of rehearsals before traveling down to Hereford for the concert. The Choir last had the opportunity to perform in the Festival at Worcester in 2021, following appearances in the Royal Albert Hall's 150th Anniversary Concert and lots of recording. It was super to return to the Festival, and our performance went down tremendously well with the sold out audience!

National Youth Choir (18-25 Years) perform to a sold out audience in Hereford Cathedral

Prom #1

Not long afterwards, I joined National Youth Voices as they went into rehearsals for our first Prom of the season, performing Steve Reich's The Desert Music alongside the BBC Singers (chorusmastered by Micaela Haslam), the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the legendary conductor Joe Hisaishi. Having been deeply interested in Reich's music for years, but never had the opportunity to perform any, I was delighted to get my teeth stuck into this very challenging but deeply-rewarding music.

It's the kind of music that requires your constant attention, as letting your concentration lapse for even a second could result in you becoming completely lost. We all took to the challenge valiantly, and it was amazing to see how the choir became more and more confident over the course of our week of rehearsals; by the time we got to the Prom, we knew it like the back of our hand, and could just enjoy being part of this amazing performance.

Performance of Steve Reich’s The Desert Music at the BBC Proms 2025

Unbeknownst to me, a friend and colleague of mine who I last saw several years prior when we were both singing on Glyndebourne's Academy programme was performing in the Philharmonia Chorus for the other half of the concert, so it was brilliant to have the opportunity to catch up with her, too. It never ceases to amaze me how small the 'music world' is. Since the concert, I have also had the huge honour and privilege of singing with the BBC Singers for a few of their projects, with a few more already booked in - hopefully this will be the start of a long relationship with them.

Recording with National Youth Choir (15-18 Years)

Barely a day after the first Prom, I was straight back into producer mode for a recording session with National Youth Choir (15-18 Years) at Uppingham School. It was one of those whirlwind days that feels like it’s over in the blink of an eye — but somehow, by the end of it, we’d managed to capture everything we set out to record (including this year’s NYC Christmas single).

The session was directed by the brilliant Mariana Rosas, who was unbelievably inspiring throughout. Her energy, musicianship and calm authority brought the absolute best out of the singers, even as we contended with every possible interruption: fire alarms, church bells, passing traffic — you name it, it happened. Yet the choir took it all completely in their stride, and we still managed to get everything in the can.

Conductor Mariana with composer Áine Mallon on recording day

What’s most remarkable is that this ensemble is made up entirely of singers who are still at school. The level of focus, professionalism and musical maturity they bring to the table is extraordinary, and I’m constantly blown away by how much they achieve in such a short space of time. It was an intense but hugely satisfying day, and I left feeling incredibly proud of what they’d accomplished — and grateful, as always, to have the chance to capture it.

Summer Course with National Youth Choir (9-15 Years)

Straight after that, I spent a week with National Youth Choir (9-15 Years), assisting Lynsey Callaghan and Matt Roughley during their summer course. Having had the pleasure to work with the group as a Section Coach in previous years, it was great to return in a slightly different role — this time conducting rehearsals, assisting with sectionals, and generally helping the music team wherever I was needed.

It was, without a doubt, one of the most rewarding weeks of the year. Our youngest singers in National Youth Choir (9-15 Years) have this incredible ability to remind you why you fell in love with choral singing in the first place. There’s so much joy, curiosity and unfiltered enthusiasm in the room that it’s impossible not to be swept up in it. Of course, they manage all of this whilst achieving phenomenal results - it really is something to behold.

Throughout the duration of the course, I engaged with members on topics ranging from Just Intonation and Microtonality, to the science behind why the Kodály 'Method' works so well (and why we use it at NYC!), to some really advanced Musicianship exercises, to intent behind performance and why it matters; I am certain that National Youth Choir is one of the only places where you can have these kinds of discussions with young people of this age, and particularly where they're thirsty to learn more.

NYC (9-15 Years) staff team at the end of the course

From my perspective, it was also an opportunity to reflect deeply on my own practice - as a conductor, as a singer, as a leader, and as a musician more broadly. Lynsey and Matt, along with the rest of the amazing team, were a real inspiration to work alongside - their musicianship, patience and humour are infectious, and I came away from the course feeling more confident in my conducting than I had in a long time. It really reignited my desire to keep pursuing conducting seriously alongside my work as a producer and singer. 

Discovery Weekend and Prom #2

No sooner had I unpacked my suitcase than it was time for our Discovery Weekend with National Youth Choir (18-25 Years). This is always a brilliant weekend, packed full of singing, workshops, and meeting new singers (or those who have moved up from our 15-18 Years choir). This year, it also doubled as preparation for our second Prom of the season: Stravinsky’s Requiem Canticles with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ilan Volkov. 

Media Day and More Recording

After the Proms, we had our EPA Media Day — a brilliant opportunity to think about the wider aspects of life as a freelance musician. We talked about everything from marketing and self-promotion to finance, wellbeing, and copyright, and it was brilliant to hear from my colleagues in the EPA as well as established professionals. It’s rare to have that kind of space to talk openly about the practical side of being a musician, and I came away from it with a notebook full of ideas.

2025 Emerging Professional Artists and Emily Dickens on recording day

Immediately after that, we moved straight into the second recording session for Young Composers 7. This time, it was our Fellowship Ensemble recording four brand-new works written by the current cohort of Young Composers. It was a pleasure to be on the other side of things this time, watching Emily Dickens conduct, Ben Parry produce, and the brilliant Stefano Civetta (assisted by Hester James) engineering the sessions. Having been the one producing these recordings in previous years, I found it fascinating to observe the process from a slightly different angle — and, as always, to hear such inventive, exciting new music coming to life for the first time. 

Full Circle

Looking back, this summer feels like a bit of a full-circle moment. I first joined National Youth Choir nearly a decade ago, and I never could have imagined then that I’d one day return as an Emerging Professional Artist — conducting, producing, and working alongside the very people who inspired me back then.

My first concert with National Youth Choir in the 2016/17 Season

It’s also been particularly special that this year marks the 10th anniversary of National Youth Choir Recordings, our in-house label. Having been organising its projects over the past few years, it feels quite poetic to now be benefiting from the same opportunities as an artist. 

This summer has reminded me just how much I love this organisation — not just for the music we make, but for the people who make it. It’s been a privilege to work, sing and learn alongside so many talented colleagues and friends, and I’m really excited to see where the next chapter leads.