NATIONAL YOUTH CHOIRS OF GREAT BRITAIN
It is with great pride that we share the news that no less than five of our St. John’s Beaumont Chapel Choir Choristers have taken the next step in excelling in their choral-musical journey by gaining a place with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain.
The study of music through choral singing is one of the most direct and potent forms of mind-training and is therefore a central and valuable contributor to all aspects of education. The skills below are essential to success in a choral context, but they transfer to all aspects of life, both today and in the future.
- teamwork
- confidence
- perseverance
Singing allows us to experience ourselves through breathing and physical awareness, becoming conscious of the connection between mind and body, and so it forms a vital tool for well-being and mindfulness.
The demand for places within the choir is extensive, and the bar is set very high; not just musically but in the responsiveness and maturity of approach that auditionees must demonstrate at interview.
With this in mind, it is no small achievement that such a significant number of our choristers have achieved a place and will now have the exciting opportunity to attend two week-long residential courses next year, working with some of the leading musical experts from around the UK, and singing within a 100+ choir of boys – some the finest young singers from across the four nations.
We at St. John’s are tremendously proud of the achievement of our choristers and their success in gaining a place. But more importantly, we are proud of them for trying: For putting themselves out there despite the chills and the doubt; For reaching for an opportunity, despite knowing that they may not get it. And for giving it their best shot when the easy option would be to let the opportunity pass by.
Choral music is about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. When our choristers turn up three days a week at 7 am to rehearse their music, it’s not for the pride, and it’s not for the glory… It for the love. It’s for fun. It’s to empower themselves and others.
That is the St. John’s Beaumont Choral Experience.
