10 Reasons to Join Barnsley Youth Choir

• Research proves that you will do better in school and college.
• Make friends for life.
• Learn from world class vocal leaders from this country and abroad.
• Develop a love and a joy of singing.
• Learn to appreciate the Arts.
• Learn about different cultures.
• See the world.
• Meet the most inspiring and amazing people.
• Develop skills you will need throughout your life.
• Represent Barnsley and Great Britain internationally.
  

We would like to warmly invite boys and girls aged 4 – 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.

We know 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. In the unprecedented times we have moved to a different system to ensure that children can still join BYC. We won’t let this pandemic deny young people the chance of joining the choir and we’re committed to do everything in our power to make joining a really exciting and positive experience.

Instead of a vocal test or audition we are simply asking those wanting to join our Children’s or Intermediate Choirs to send in a short video of them singing. We don’t expect this to be perfect! This certainly isn’t X-Factor and only the Musical Director team will see this. We are looking for potential and have chosen the simple and well-known song, Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, for them to sing.It is fine to sing it unaccompanied or with a backing track and we are not expecting a polished performance. For these choirs we’ll look at the video and get back to you quickly about whether we can offer you a place.

The Senior Choir perform at a higher level and we would like to do some singing with you in a very relaxed way using the online platform Zoom. Essentially our music director will give you a short singing lesson (free of charge!) and will teach you a short piece. He will put you at ease and certainly doesn’t expect you to sing perfectly – he’s more interested in your potential and how you learn. Your parents are welcome to also be involved so you don’t feel on your own.

Costs

Whilst we are a charity we do have costs that we need to cover and we make a small weekly charge for members. There are also costs for uniform but the choir works hard to subsidise these costs to make them affordable. We offer a bursary scheme for families who may struggle to meet these basic costs. We don’t want any young person to feel that they cannot be involved because of cost – this is very important to us as a choir. Please contact our President and Trustee Ann Wroe on bycannwroe@gmail.com for more information about this. Any information received will be treated with discretion and there certainly isn’t any stigma attached to asking for support.

Safety and Wellbeing

Each choir also has its own registrar team that registers young people on arrival and monitors attendance and well-being. The choir is run by an excellent team of volunteers who meet regularly and plan events meticulously. Whilst it is not a legal requirement, our volunteers are fully DBS checked. All volunteers are inducted and there is a robust safeguarding policy to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of all members remains a priority. Our Safeguarding Lead, Nicola Ellel, is highly experienced and skilled and works closely with young people,volunteers and families to ensure that young people are safe whilst they are in our care. Many of our directors and volunteers work with young people professionally outside of the choir and have undergone First Aid Training. New members are carefully monitored and supported and will be assigned another member of the choir as a mentor to support them through their first few weeks.Some young people arrive at the choir not knowing anyone but this is always resolved quickly as they develop new friendships and we pride ourselves on ensuring that all young people feel happy and safe.

Support

Our Membership Secretary Lynne Veal is on hand to support you with any questions you may have.Please do get in touch with her on byclynne@gmail.com and she will support and guide you through this process.

We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to the amazing BYC family!