Salisbury Cathedral Youth Choir
In the wake of its successful Junior Choir, the Cathedral launched a new Youth Choir led by Ian Wicks. Since January 2018 the choir has been conducted by Stephen Abbott.
The Youth Choir is a free, non-auditioned four-part community choir, open to all youngsters aged between 13 and 18. The teenagers tackle a wide range of music and musical styles and undertake at least two to three public engagements a term.
The choir’s conductor, Ian Wicks, has run the Junior Choir successfully for nine years, with the choir taking part in the highly successful 'Magna Cantata' and BBC Wiltshire’s 'Carols in the Cathedral', an annual broadcast event. He has high hopes for the Youth Choir, which will tackle an equally ambitious range of music. In their first term they took part in a performance of Handel's Messiah with the Cathedral Choir and the City of London Sinfonia with distinguished soloists conducted by David Halls, Director of Music of Salisbury Cathedral. They also gave their own concert, took part in the Hoodwink theatre production 'A Winter's Trail' in Salisbury Cathedral and sang in the family service on Christmas Eve. In February 2017 they sang Evensong in the cathedral for the first time.
Ian Wicks, founder of the Youth Choir, said: “We have long felt that there was a gap between our vibrant Junior Choir and the accomplished Cathedral Chamber Choir that needed filling, and a need for more musical opportunities for talented secondary school students. We hope the Youth Choir will fulfil that role and keep young people singing. Research has shown singing benefits the singer both physically because it is an aerobic activity that uses all the upper body muscles, and because of its positive psychological effects, reducing stress and building a sense of community within the choir…plus the fact that it is, of course, a lot of fun.”
Rehearsals for the Youth Choir take place on Tuesdays in term time from 18.00-19.00 in Salisbury Cathedral School.
In the wake of its successful Junior Choir, the Cathedral launched a new Youth Choir led by Ian Wicks. Since January 2018 the choir has been conducted by Stephen Abbott.
The Youth Choir is a free, non-auditioned four-part community choir, open to all youngsters aged between 13 and 18. The teenagers tackle a wide range of music and musical styles and undertake at least two to three public engagements a term.
The choir’s conductor, Ian Wicks, has run the Junior Choir successfully for nine years, with the choir taking part in the highly successful 'Magna Cantata' and BBC Wiltshire’s 'Carols in the Cathedral', an annual broadcast event. He has high hopes for the Youth Choir, which will tackle an equally ambitious range of music. In their first term they took part in a performance of Handel's Messiah with the Cathedral Choir and the City of London Sinfonia with distinguished soloists conducted by David Halls, Director of Music of Salisbury Cathedral. They also gave their own concert, took part in the Hoodwink theatre production 'A Winter's Trail' in Salisbury Cathedral and sang in the family service on Christmas Eve. In February 2017 they sang Evensong in the cathedral for the first time.
Ian Wicks, founder of the Youth Choir, said: “We have long felt that there was a gap between our vibrant Junior Choir and the accomplished Cathedral Chamber Choir that needed filling, and a need for more musical opportunities for talented secondary school students. We hope the Youth Choir will fulfil that role and keep young people singing. Research has shown singing benefits the singer both physically because it is an aerobic activity that uses all the upper body muscles, and because of its positive psychological effects, reducing stress and building a sense of community within the choir…plus the fact that it is, of course, a lot of fun.”
Rehearsals for the Youth Choir take place on Tuesdays in term time from 18.00-19.00 in Salisbury Cathedral School.