We were excited to hear that four Trinity students were part of the National Youth Choir’s ROOTS performance at the Warwick Arts Centre in April, with a video of one piece receiving over one million views online.
The performance brought together over 300 singers (aged 9-15 years) who had taken part in residential courses during the Easter break and was a musical journey through the folk traditions of Britain, Ireland and North America. The choir’s performance of ‘Bring Me Little Water Sylvie*’, complete with perfectly in sync body percussion, has been picked up by Classic FM and shared many times online. You can watch the video here.
It was the first National Youth Choir (NYC) residential course for students Edward, Sebastien and Ben, while Oliver was a returning member. They have all sung professionally with the Trinity Boys Choir.
Oliver said, “I got into singing at my primary school. I was the only boy in the choir! My parents are both musicians, so I have grown up surrounded by music.
“I got into NYC when I was at primary school. My choir mistress suggested that I should audition, and I was delighted to get in. It was great when some other Trinity students turned up too- we had all been singing the St Matthew Passion in Germany and only got home the day before having to leave for the NYC course!
“I loved the Warwick Arts Centre performance. I think the reason it has got such a brilliant response is because it is all about young people coming together and sharing something. With all the bad news in the world, this is a very good thing.”
Edward says, “I have been singing in the Trinity Boys Choir since I joined the school in 2020 and really love it. I have been given the opportunity to perform in operas and concerts at some of the best venues around the world – including in England, France, China, Germany, and Denmark – and I have made incredible memories and forged incredibly strong friendships with the boys I have shared these experiences with. The choir has really nurtured my love of singing, so when my mum heard about auditions for the National Youth Choir, she immediately signed me up.
“The audition was in October and although I was nervous because my voice had started to change, the audition went well, and the panel were very friendly. I was very excited when I found out next month that I had got in! This excitement was then doubled when I found out that two of my friends from the Trinity Boys Choir, Ben and Sebastian, had got in too and booked onto the Boys 9-15 Easter course that I’d be doing, and that Olly, also from Trinity, would be coming on the course as well, having been a member of the NYC for a while. Luke from the year above also got in, and I believe he’s going on the Boys 15-18 course over the summer.
“For the first half of the Easter holidays the four of us all had rehearsals and performances of Bach’s St Matthews Passion in England and Germany, as part of the giant Trinity Boys Choir project in tandem with the Kieler Knabenchor. We then barely got a breather before we went to Coventry for the NYC course.
“We endured extensive rehearsals over five days, all in preparation for the culminating concert at the Warwick Arts Centre. The rehearsals were intense, but it was very rewarding as my singing and musicianship skills developed. There was also time for masterclasses and workshops and social time too. The highlights included rounders, an incredibly competitive football tournament and an authentic evening of Scottish Ceilidh dancing. It was great to already have friends from Trinity on the trip – we all ended up in the same boarding house and Olly and I were in the tenor section, and we were put next to each other in the seating plan for the concert – because we all looked out for each other during the week, and hung out lots, but I also got to make lots of new friends too.
“After all our preparation, the concert at the Warwick Arts Centre went very well, the concert hall was massive, and it was really cool for the encore to sing ‘Bring Me Little Water Silvie’ with two NYC 9-15 Girls courses that had also been rehearsing throughout the week. There were 330 of us on one stage, singing in four-part harmony with body percussion. It was a wonderful experience, and the clip has deservedly gone viral! I am really excited to be returning on the summer course with two of the Trinity boys!”
Mr Mulroy, Director of Trinity Boys Choir, says, “We are really supportive of the NYC and all our students singing wherever and whenever they can. NYC is a brilliant organisation, caring for and inspiring young singers throughout their development. I’m thrilled that Trinity boys are participating, and – whether they go on to be top professionals like many in NYC or just to cherish the joy of making music with friends – this is an association we’re proud of and looking to nurture further into the future.”
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*The piece was arranged by Moira Smiley, with percussion choreographed by Eve Ladin, under the conduction of Patrick Barrett.
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