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Press Releases
RSNO Junior Chorus Celebrates Thirty Years of Young Vocal Excellence
For the past thirty years the Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s (RSNO) Junior Chorus has provided vocal training, music education and opportunities to perform at the highest level for young singers in Scotland. To celebrate this milestone, the RSNO Junior Chorus will perform a special anniversary concert, accompanied by the RSNO, at City Halls, Glasgow, on Friday 21 May.
The RSNO Junior Chorus continues to offer young people from the age of eight onwards the opportunity to sing weekly with a highly trained group, give concerts and make recordings. The aims of the choir have always been to encourage singing at the highest level, to learn to read music and to develop and train the voice. This nurturing of artistic excellence has proven to foster confidence-building and teamwork amongst young people. To provide the highest level of training and guidance as the singers progress, the chorus is divided into five groups: the Training Choir, Probationary Choirs 1&2, the Changed Voices group and the Junior Chorus. All three hundred singers will be performing on Friday 21 May.
A new cantata developed from a 2005 work, The Great God Thor, entitled The Saga of the Seven Days by Edinburgh-based composer Tom Cunningham forms the main work in a varied and entertaining programme, led by RSNO Junior Chorus Director Christopher Bell, who is celebrating his fifteenth year at the helm. Christopher Bell is the second Director of the Junior Chorus, succeeding Jean Kidd, MBE, founder of the then Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus.
Jean Kidd, MBE:
“I’m so pleased that these talented young singers are still able to benefit from this wonderful opportunity. It’s a valuable experience for members of the Junior Chorus to be working and performing with professional musicians and conductors of such high calibre. I wish them and Christopher all the very best of success in their future endeavours.”
This year has already been eventful for the young chorus. In January forty members of the RSNO Junior Chorus along with the RSNO Chorus and Orchestra played an ambassadorial role for Scottish culture, performing Fauré’s Requiem to a sell-out audience at the historic Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the only foreign ensemble asked to perform as part of the revered venue’s Requiem Series. In early May the experienced young singers took part in the RSNO’s critically acclaimed presentation of Britten’s War Requiem at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh and at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. And last year the RSNO Junior Chorus and Orchestra recorded a Christmas album, A Family Christmas, which will be available to buy from the autumn.
Over the next few months the RSNO Junior Chorus joins the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the Edinburgh International Festival and the BBC Proms in London, with performances of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No3 (Royal Albert Hall, London - Wednesday 4 August) and Symphony No8 (Usher Hall, Edinburgh - Saturday 4 September) and with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Mariss Jansons also performing Mahler’s Third Symphony at the Edinburgh International Festival (Usher Hall, Edinburgh - Tuesday 31 August).
RSNO Junior Chorus Director Christopher Bell:
“Such a prestigious list of engagements this year only goes to underline the respect that organisations like the Edinburgh International Festival, the London Proms and the BBC have for the singers of the RSNO Junior Chorus. These invitations are a testament to the young singers’ abilities and the superb staff who work tirelessly with them week in, week out, to achieve the highest possible standards.”
The RSNO is grateful to the Perth-based Gannochy Trust, which has, throughout the majority of the RSNO Junior Chorus’ existence, provided sustained and valuable support. The RSNO also warmly recognises the support of the Goldberg Family Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, W.M. Mann Foundation, Merchants’ House of Glasgow and the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust.
For more information on how to join the RSNO Junior Chorus call Christine Walker on 0141 225 3553, email Christine.Walker@rsno.org.uk or log onto www.rsno.org.uk.
The RSNO Junior Chorus continues to offer young people from the age of eight onwards the opportunity to sing weekly with a highly trained group, give concerts and make recordings. The aims of the choir have always been to encourage singing at the highest level, to learn to read music and to develop and train the voice. This nurturing of artistic excellence has proven to foster confidence-building and teamwork amongst young people. To provide the highest level of training and guidance as the singers progress, the chorus is divided into five groups: the Training Choir, Probationary Choirs 1&2, the Changed Voices group and the Junior Chorus. All three hundred singers will be performing on Friday 21 May.
A new cantata developed from a 2005 work, The Great God Thor, entitled The Saga of the Seven Days by Edinburgh-based composer Tom Cunningham forms the main work in a varied and entertaining programme, led by RSNO Junior Chorus Director Christopher Bell, who is celebrating his fifteenth year at the helm. Christopher Bell is the second Director of the Junior Chorus, succeeding Jean Kidd, MBE, founder of the then Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus.
Jean Kidd, MBE:
“I’m so pleased that these talented young singers are still able to benefit from this wonderful opportunity. It’s a valuable experience for members of the Junior Chorus to be working and performing with professional musicians and conductors of such high calibre. I wish them and Christopher all the very best of success in their future endeavours.”
This year has already been eventful for the young chorus. In January forty members of the RSNO Junior Chorus along with the RSNO Chorus and Orchestra played an ambassadorial role for Scottish culture, performing Fauré’s Requiem to a sell-out audience at the historic Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the only foreign ensemble asked to perform as part of the revered venue’s Requiem Series. In early May the experienced young singers took part in the RSNO’s critically acclaimed presentation of Britten’s War Requiem at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh and at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. And last year the RSNO Junior Chorus and Orchestra recorded a Christmas album, A Family Christmas, which will be available to buy from the autumn.
Over the next few months the RSNO Junior Chorus joins the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the Edinburgh International Festival and the BBC Proms in London, with performances of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No3 (Royal Albert Hall, London - Wednesday 4 August) and Symphony No8 (Usher Hall, Edinburgh - Saturday 4 September) and with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Mariss Jansons also performing Mahler’s Third Symphony at the Edinburgh International Festival (Usher Hall, Edinburgh - Tuesday 31 August).
RSNO Junior Chorus Director Christopher Bell:
“Such a prestigious list of engagements this year only goes to underline the respect that organisations like the Edinburgh International Festival, the London Proms and the BBC have for the singers of the RSNO Junior Chorus. These invitations are a testament to the young singers’ abilities and the superb staff who work tirelessly with them week in, week out, to achieve the highest possible standards.”
The RSNO is grateful to the Perth-based Gannochy Trust, which has, throughout the majority of the RSNO Junior Chorus’ existence, provided sustained and valuable support. The RSNO also warmly recognises the support of the Goldberg Family Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, W.M. Mann Foundation, Merchants’ House of Glasgow and the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust.
For more information on how to join the RSNO Junior Chorus call Christine Walker on 0141 225 3553, email Christine.Walker@rsno.org.uk or log onto www.rsno.org.uk.
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