Joining the choir is FREE and those that are successful will be given a free rehearsal t-shirt and some other goodies to welcome them to the choir so that they feel part of the team straight away.
"When my daughter joined the choir in Sept 2016 her Dad and I were really happy that she had joined, but to be totally honest had absolutely no idea what a wonderfully amazing, emotional, pride filling experience she and we were embarking on. It's not just your own child that you are so proud of, it's each and every one of them. As a parent I cannot think of anything better in the whole world that I would wish my daughter to be part of. One of her texts to me whilst in Riga was 'Mum I'm never ever, ever leaving this choir."
We would like to warmly invite boys and girls aged 0 – 24 years old to join Barnsley Youth Choir. BYC is a very inclusive choir and the vast majority of children and young people who contact us are offered a place in one of our choirs. Whilst we are keen to have members who are vocally talented, we also value enthusiasm and commitment highly and no experience is necessary. We have world class vocal leaders who can help children develop into outstanding singers as long as they are enthusiastic and committed.
Our youngest sections, BYC Little Singers (0-4 years old) and BYC Junior Choir (4-7 years old) don’t audition. If you would like your child to be involved we’d love to have them!
For our other choirs we recognise that auditioning can be a daunting prospect, particularly for those that haven’t sung before, and we always make joining a relaxed and fun experience. We will usually audition children and young people in a group and there is nothing to prepare – we don’t want to create undue pressure and stress. We will teach the group a simple song and our Musical Directors will carefully watch the way in which children learn and their ability to listen carefully and sing in tune.
We don’t expect children to sing perfectly and to not make mistakes; in fact, we fully expect this! It’s a key element of the learning process. The audition is a really enjoyable experience and, essentially, it is a free group singing lesson.
We are interested in potential, not simply the current ability of children. If children are enthusiastic, committed and keen to learn, our expert team of musical directors will provide them with all the tools that they need to improve, and young people will develop into really good singers quickly.
Whilst we are a charity, we do have costs that we need to cover and we do need to charge a subscription fee. This subscription charge is under half of the cost of similar choirs in the country and we do everything we can to keep these costs as low as possible. The actual costs to the choir for a child to be involved are actually more than this fee, but we work hard to fundraise to subsidise costs to make it easier for parents and families.
The subscription costs for the 2023-24 season (September 2023 – July 2024) are as follows
These fees cover all termly weekly rehearsals, all additional local rehearsals, workshops (including workshops with guest choir leaders and conductors) and music costs. There are usually between 40 and 50 rehearsals per year with these additional rehearsals. The costs to BYC are wide and varied but we do all we can to keep these costs as low as possible, recognising the challenges that many families face in Barnsley and we are grateful to Sponsors and Patrons for their vital support which is passed onto families.Whilst we are a charity, we do have costs that we need to cover and we do need to charge a subscription fee. This subscription charge is under half of the cost of similar choirs in the country and we do everything we can to keep these costs as low as possible. The actual costs to the choir for a child to be involved are actually more than this fee, but we work hard to fundraise to subsidise costs to make it easier for parents and families.
There is an additional cost for uniform which differs for each choir. The cost of uniform is subsidised and BYC does not make a profit on uniform items. The choir also carries a stock of ‘Pre-loved’ uniform that is in an excellent condition. Often it has only been worn a few times and it is difficult to identify the difference between this stock and new uniform. This ‘Pre-loved’ Uniform is sold at a fraction of the cost and this contribution is given back to the child/parents who have donated this stock. More information is available by speaking to the Join BYC team on bycjoin@gmail.com or at rehearsals and joining events.
Our mission is that we want all young people to be able to experience the joy and benefits of singing. We never want any young person or their families to feel that they cannot be involved because of these basic costs. This is one of our core values as a choir, and something that was set up when the choir was first established in 2009 by then Chairperson, Keith Norton and Mat Wright.
We offer a number of different types of bursaries to parents and families who are struggling to meet the full cost of their child being involved in the choir. This information is treated with sensitive discretion, and there certainly isn’t any stigma attached to asking for support. BYC is here to help and we will do all we can to support within the realms of the resources that we have.
Please contact our Treasurer and Trustee, Louise Korobka on byclouisekorobka@gmail.com in confidence if you would like to discuss how the choir may be able to support.
This is a very relaxed and fun choir focused on engagement and having fun. No experience or skill is necessary. Rehearsals are focused on songs and games. To join this choir please just complete the form below and we will get back to you.
