On 23 June, dozens of young singers from Berkshire will travel to London to perform in Prom 11: Ten Pieces presents… Sir Henry’s Magnificent Musical Inspirations (to give it its full title). The day will not only be their chance to participate in the world’s biggest music festival, it will also represent the culmination of their involvement with the third BBC Ten Pieces project. The youngest singer will be just eight years old and the oldest 18, giving their last hurrah before moving on from school into higher education. The older children make up Berkshire Youth Choir (BYC), the youngest, Years 4 to 6 in Berkshire Children’s Choir (BCC) – and those in Years 7 to 9 form Berkshire Young Voices (BYV). Every member has auditioned and the three choirs represent some of the most able young singers from across the county.
‘We’ve worked with the BBC on and off over the last eight years,’ says Louise McGahon, head of voice at Berkshire Maestros. She recalls a phone call in February from the BBC’s education manager asking if the choirs would like to be involved with Ten Pieces III. ‘It was a very tight turnaround... Crazy really, but we knew it would be worthwhile.’
The first stage was to record two pieces, ‘O Fortuna’, the opening movement of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and No Place Like, a new commission from Kerry Andrew – and the recording session took place in the legendary Maida Vale One studio with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
‘It was amazing for the kids to walk into that room and sing with the BBCSO,’ says Christopher Hann, artistic director of Berkshire County Youth Choirs. Many of the singers had performed Carmina Burana a few years ago, coincidentally in the RAH. ‘The others all recognised the Orff from The X-Factor!’
‘They told us Adele and Ed Sheeran had been there recently,’ adds alto Enya Dodson, 18, who is sad to be leaving BYC after four years with the group. Enya is an Albert Hall veteran, having previously sung there on several occasions – most recently the Verdi Requiem at the Proms last year. Then she was part of the BBC Youth Choir, performing with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Marin Alsop, which she describes as ‘the best experience of my life’.
NO PLACE LIKE…
No Place Like has proved a massive hit with the choirs too. Andrew formed her libretto from texts written by children throughout the UK, on the subject of home. Although its sectional structure is quite straightforward, there are plenty of challenges.
‘At one point, the altos have a little folk song and the tenors have a football chant while the basses drone. It’s clever,’ says Hann.
As well as layering, the piece presents other challenges, including harmonics, body percussion and beatboxing, says Hann. ‘Coordinating singing and body percussions is tricky – I can’t do it! ‘Interestingly, the younger ones picked it up quicker, but they do more stuff by ear. Kerry is very clever at writing something that’s to the ability of each individual choir, enabling it to sound effective: challenging, but not impossible.
‘Learning the Kerry Andrew piece has been the real jewel in the crown of the project,’ says McGahon. ‘It tells a story the children can identify with.’ The choirs will be performing the piece closer to home at a concert in November. There is also an arrangement with piano so that the piece can be performed by schools everywhere.
CHORAL PRIORITIES
The three-choir structure at Berkshire Maestros has only been up and running for the current academic year. Previously there were just two choirs – BYV and BYC. The addition of the youngest, Berkshire Children’s Choir, has brought the age range down by a year and divided the two younger, feeder choirs at the natural break between Years 6 and 7. McGahon and Hann are currently hoping to recruit 30 or 40 new singers, mostly into BCC, with a particular emphasis on finding boys.
‘This time of year’s always a bit stressful for BYC because we’ve got six basses leaving at the end of the year,’ Hann explains. ‘If we’ve got them coming through the system there’s far less stress.’ An open rehearsal for all three choirs was held last month with members encouraged to bring a friend. ‘Normally when people experience a rehearsal they want to stay.’
In the last year or so, the choirs have performed in prestigious venues including St George’s, Windsor, Douai Abbey and King’s College, Cambridge as well as, for BYC, a concert tour of China. ‘We’re constantly striving to provide the best and most exciting musical opportunities that we can,’ Hann adds. McGahon agrees: ‘Our main passion is that children enjoy singing the whole world of choral music that is available to them.