What and where?

• Choir members are invited to attend up to two residential courses per year, which take place around the UK in the spring and summer holidays. There is no regular term-time commitments, only one-off courses and projects which fall in most state school holidays.
• For choir members aged 9-15, courses typically last 4-5 days. Where possible, we offer courses in a range of locations and on a range of dates.
• Residential courses usually take place in boarding schools or colleges where accommodation and musical facilities are available on the same site. Choir members stay at the course venue, sleeping, eating, singing and having fun all on the same site.
• We ask choir members and their families to organise their own transport from home to the course venue, and from the concert venue back home again. Choir members are dropped off at the course venue around midday on the first day, and picked up from the concert venue (usually in a different place from the course venue) after the concert, usually around 4-6pm
• Choir members are looked after 24/7 by a team of experienced staff including pastoral staff, music staff, vocal coaches, conductors and the social team (whose job is to run fun social activities!). Staff keep choir members safe and help them feel at home in an unfamiliar environment.

Where do choir members sleep?

• Choir members sleep in boarding houses on the course site. These are large houses with bedroom and bathroom facilities (some shared, some single) for around 50 people. They often also have communal areas like shared living rooms, kitchenettes or gardens.
• Each boarding house has a dedicated staff team including a Head of House and Pastoral Team who are on call 24hrs a day.
• Choir members are allocated bedrooms with other members like them. This means they will be sharing a group bedroom with, or in a single bedroom next to, singers of the same gender, similar age and experience level. For example, a new 10-year-old member will share with other 10/11-year-old members on their first course, and a 15-year-old member who has done courses before, will share with other 14/15-year-olds who’ve also been on previous courses. It is not possible for choir members to request a specific roommate.
• Choir members with accessibility or medical needs are able to request accommodations (i.e. room on the ground floor, room next to a member of pastoral staff, shared/single room) as part of their course booking.
• Choir members will be told about which bedroom they have been allocated when they arrive on the course. If you have any questions about communal accommodation please contact our staff in advance or speak to staff at registration if there is a specific concern about the room allocation on arrival.

What’s the food like?

The food on the course is really nice, especially breakfast!

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner are eaten on site in a big communal canteen or sometimes in smaller canteens within each boarding house. On concert day, choir members are provided with a packed lunch to eat at the concert venue.
• Drinks and snacks are provided during morning and afternoon breaks.
• Specific medical and dietary requirements are catered for and there is usually plenty of variety of different hot and cold foods at meal times.
• Choir members are welcome to bring their own snacks as long as they do not contain nuts, and they aren’t really sugary.

How do singers make friends?

My daughter was bit nervous about coming on the NYC course and not knowing anyone. She had a brilliant time, and everything was so well structured that it was easy for her to get to know people and fully enjoy herself.

• We run lots of social activities on courses to create opportunities for choir members to make friends.
• Singers will be grouped with young people of a similar age and experience in their accommodation and singing ensembles.
• We also allocate singers a ‘family’ group, which includes a mix of ages and experiences. Sometimes we group singers in ‘families’ during in social activities and mealtimes to help new singers integrate into the choir.
• Social activities take place in break times and after evening rehearsals. We aim to provide a variety of social activities like sports, games and quizzes as well as ‘quieter’ activities like crafts and movie nights. Choir members can choose to opt-in to social activities or have some downtime by themselves if they prefer.

What does a typical day look like?

I really enjoyed singing every day – I still wanted to sing more even after the whole week!

• A typical day starts with a warm-up after breakfast. This usually involves singers getting their bodies moving with stretching and silly dancing, followed by some vocal exercises, all led by our music staff.
• Most of the rest of the day is spent learning new music and practicing singing it together. Sometimes singers learn in smaller groups called ‘sections’ where everyone has the same voice part and is learning the same tune – these are called ‘Sectionals’. Towards the end of the day, singers normally get together with other sections to hear what the pieces sound like when different voice parts are singing together.
• View an example schedule for a day on a National Youth Choir (9-15 Years)

What musical opportunities are offered?

• National Youth Choir members are offered some of the best choral training opportunities in the world. The experience helps members grow in confidence and aspiration and equips them with important musical and social skills that will help them in later life.
• There is usually no need for members to start learning the choir music before they start the course. Choir members will be given the sheet music at the start of the course and can take this home at the end.

I do music that I would have never gotten to do anywhere else

• The music members sing on courses is varied and will challenge singers of all experience levels in different ways. The pieces come from a range of musical styles and cultures to help singers learn about different approaches to making music.
• As well as learning specific songs, we run sessions to help singers learn more practical musical skills like how to read sheet music, how to improve their singing or maybe something completely different like how to beatbox. Sometimes we also offer optional information sessions for older singers about things like careers in the arts or advanced music theory.
• Singers have access to expert vocal coaches who will be working with them during group rehearsals. Vocal coaches are on hand throughout the courses to advise on particular vocal issues, including any worries singers might have about their vocal health.
• Sometimes vocal coaches run masterclasses, which are interactive sessions where one singer has vocal coaching in front of a friendly 'audience' of other choir members. If a choir member wants to put themself forward to perform as part of a masterclass, they should bring printed sheet music for a solo song with them so they have something to sing in the session.
• Towards the end of the course, the choir usually takes part in a live performance or a professional-level recording session to share the music they have learned together. The families of choir members can watch the performance at the end of the course, and any recordings made on courses are released on our record label on streaming platforms about a year after the course is over.

What if a member gets ill on the course?

Our experienced staff team includes people trained in first aid, mental health first aid, health & safety, and safe medication handling. If a choir member becomes ill on the course, our staff will contact their registered adult and can arrange for the member to visit a pharmacist, GP or A&E if needed.

To avoid infections or viruses spreading on courses, we ask choir members who become unwell to reduce their contact with other people. If necessary, we may arrange for members who are very ill to return home to avoid making others ill too.