National Youth Choir will perform two world premieres of new music from choral composing giants Roderick Williams and Sarah Quartel on Saturday 2 August.

I’m here by Roderick Williams will receive its debut at the Three Choirs Festival in Hereford from National Youth Choir (18-25 Years), conducted by Principal Conductor, Nicholas Chalmers.

Later that same day National Youth Choir (9-15 Years) will perform Sarah Quartel’s The Cloud at Coventry Cathedral, under the leadership of their new Principal Conductor, Lynsey Callaghan.

Both choral works were commissioned by National Youth Choir and are generously supported by their Principal Innovation Sponsor, Dorico. I’m here was also supported by the John S Cohen Foundation.

National Youth Choir’s Head of Creative Programmes Carris Jones said:

Commissioning new choral works is such an important part of our work at National Youth Choir, and it is exciting to see our young people rise to the challenges of performing and recording them so that they can be enjoyed by everyone.

We are excited to have the opportunity of premiering of Roderick Williams’ major new work at the Three Choirs Festival, where so many amazing choral pieces have received their first performance.

Of his new work, Roderick Williams said:

I was particularly pleased to write an a cappella choral piece for the National Youth Choir.

Around the time of composition, the choir was taking part in a tour to South Africa and this presented an opportunity for me to ask the choir some specific questions, designed to help them explore their identity, what is was they hoped to share of their (musical) identity with their new audience, and what they might hope to experience in their new surroundings.

The responses were varied and moving in themselves and I enjoyed fashioning them into a poetic libretto suitable for choral setting.

National Youth Choir are committed to bringing new music to choirs of all ages. The choir commissions emerging composers, as well as established names, to write new choral works.

In the last 10 years alone, National Youth Choir have commissioned 25 works by professional composers such as Errollyn Wallen, John Rutter, Jonathan Dove, Roxanna Panufnik, Thea Musgrave and Oliver Tarney, and a further 43 pieces by emerging composers.