Songs of Land & Sky

• This event starts at 3pm on Saturday 2 August and takes place at Coventry Cathedral. Find out more about getting here
• Concert seating is unreserved. You are welcome to arrive from 2.30pm in order to choose your seats. Please note that the Cathedral will not be open to the public immediately before 2.30pm.
• If you require a specific seating arrangement for accessibility reasons, please email [email protected] or speak to staff on the day.
• For the enjoyment and safety of our young singers, please do not take photos or film during the performance

Meguru - Namibian Folksong arr. Lynsey Callaghan
'Meguru' is a traditional song from the Kavango people of Namibia that has become a National Youth Choir favourite. The lyrics are a prayer for mercy and love.

Wau Bulan - Malaysian Folksong arr. Tracy Wong
Wau bulan is a traditional Malaysian kite. It looks a bit like a crescent moon, which is how it gets its name "moon kite". These kites are really big - 2-3 metres wide and tall - and usually feature detailed flower patterns. This song might start off soft and flowing like a light breeze. But as you listen you'll see lots of movement and hear drums, shouts and claps that feel much more kites shimmering and dancing in the sky!

Seoithín Seo - Irish Folksong arr. Rosaleen Molloy
Rosaleen uses this traditional Irish folksong to help us imagine a story in two halves. We start downstairs in the middle of a wild party. There's music, there's dancing - and plenty of singing too! But as we move upstairs, the noise of the party fades away, and we hear the same tune transformed into a lullaby to try and get a tired baby to sleep. What do you think happens next? Is the party so loud that the baby wakes up or perhaps the baby falls asleep dreaming about the fun that's happening downstairs?

Reel a’ Bouche - Malcolm Dalglish
How do you sing a song when it doesn't have any words? You make up whatever sounds you think might fit! Depending on the tune and the rhythm, this could be 'na na na' or 'ba-da-da dum' or anything else you like. Making up your own nonsense sounds is a traditional way of singing that you can find across lots of different cultures. It's sometimes called 'lilting' or 'mouth music'. In this song, Malcolm writes out 'mouth music' for the whole choir to sing all at once. If you had to rewrite the lyrics for your favourite song as nonsense words, what would you choose?

E Nana Kakou I Na Manu - Herb Mahelona
Grab your backpack and some binoculars - we're taking a trip to the forests of Hawai'i to do some bird watching. The words of this song translate to: "Be still, be calm (as water), listen to the song of the birds". Take a moment to slow your breath and use your senses to enjoy this song.

The Cloud - Sarah Quartel (world premiere)
Commissioned by National Youth Choir and generously supported by Dorico
The concert you are at right now is the first time this song has EVER been performed! It was written especially for the National Youth Choir by Canadian composer Sarah Quartel. Sarah wrote the song from a cloud's perspective, but gives it two distinct moods. Like two sides of the same cloud! Sometimes the cloud is bold and confident - sometimes it's thoughtful and meditative. Can you hear the mood of the cloud change during the song?

Kuwa Furaha - Jim Papoulis
This is a song about joy. Jim was inspired by the way small children can seem to find joy in even the simplest things - a ladybird, a puddle or a silly face. The lyrics of this song remind us to sing, feel joy, smile and live peacefully.

How Can You Catch the Wind? - Dan Walker
Picture this - an ocean explorer uses the stars and the warm breeze to navigate the farthest reaches of the world. That's what Dan was thinking about when he was writing this song. What things do you imagine when you listen? Does this song remind you of a particular landscape or time in history?

Give Me the River - Toby Young
One thing the composer, Toby Young, said he liked about this song was that it's the kind of music that helps you get into your body. Once you've learned the song, you're not thinking about singing it. You're letting your muscle memory take over, like an unstoppable river running straight to the sea.

Thulele Mama Ya - Lisa Young
This song is inspired by a Zulu phrase that means 'don't worry mama'. This song is built like a house from the bottom up. The foundation is a rhythm played on a two-tone bell instrument right at the beginning. On top of that, you'll hear different tunes building up and interlocking with each other, until everyone is singing!

Beidh Aonach Amárach - Irish Folksong arr. David Mooney
Have you ever REALLY wanted to go to something fun but no matter how much you ask, you're not allowed? This Irish folk song is about a frustrated child whose mum won't let them go to the fair because they are too young. In this song, singers play the role of both the child who keeps asking and asking, and the mum who says no. Can you work out when they are singing the voice of the child or the voice of the mum? What is different about the way they are singing?

The Water is Wide - Scottish Folksong arr. James Webb
This folk song starts with everyone singing the same tune at the same time in unison. But then something changes - the singers split into two with some singing the tune and others singing something else, almost like an echo in a valley. By the middle of the song, you might be able to hear another part joining to make lush three-part harmonies.

Lord of the Dance - American Shaker Folksong arr. Sue Furlong
You might recognise this song as a hymn that's sometimes sung in church or school assemblies. The song tells the story of Jesus' life. You'll hear that even though the main tune stays the same, the mood of the music changes depending on the story. How would you change a song (without changing the tune or the words) to make it sound more happy or sad?

Kusimama - Jim Papoulis
Jim Papoulis grew up speaking Swahili at home because his mum grew up in the Congo in Africa. That's why the lyrics of this song are written in the Swahili language. Translated into English they mean: "I stand tall with love, with hope. Children are closer to the earth".

A lot of the lyrics in this concert are sung in different languages. If you're curious about what the choir is singing about, you can read translations of all the lyrics that aren't in English in this document.

Singers in National Youth Choir (9-15 Years) meet twice a year for residential courses. On courses, singers live, sing and learn together with rehearsals for most of the day time and social events in the evening, all facilitated by a team of National Youth Choir conductors, vocal coaches, musicianship leads and pastoral staff.

From dancercise to birthdays to the now, traditional 'silly socks day', there's far too many special things about National Youth Choir courses to mention all of them. To get a taste of what these young singers have experienced over the last four days, watch our Instagram stories highlight

Principal Conductor - Lynsey Callaghan
Course Conductor - Mariana Rosas
Assistant Conductors - Jamie Sperling, Hannah King

Vocal Leads - James Oldfield, Pamela Hay
Section Coaches - Charlotte Brosnan, Gabrielle Chudi, Olivia Earl, Charlotte Galloway, Adam Hilton, Shivani Rattan, Shae Weir
Accompanists & Section Coaches - Charlie Penn, Krystal Tunnicliffe

Course Managers - Susie Hill, Ellie Sperling
Assistant Course Managers - Alice Martin, Anna Palethorpe
Heads of Pastoral Care - Jen Charters, Rick Peat
Heads of House/Senior Pastoral Care - Melody Bridges, Freya Holliman, Julia Mansbridge, Owen Smith
Senior Pastoral Care - Marisa Alcock, Matthew Chappell, Heather Fuller, Myles Granger, Paynor Tsate
Heads of Social - Katie Meredith, Rachel Wheatley
Course Assistants - Lucy Che, Bess Cook Miller, Cameron Davies, Jenny Weakley