Past Events

Our concert with Aled Jones

The choir was a big hit with an audience which filled Chelmsford Cathedral. Our short set of four south African songs 'Songs of a Rainbow Nation' by Alexander LeStrange worked well in a programme of music by the Cathedral Choir and Aled Jones. You can read a review of the concert from the Cathedral news magazine.

Saturday 15th 2008 March Concert

We tried to keep a thread of an idea running through the choice of music for this concert, choosing music on the theme of homelessness and finding a place for everyone. The concert gave a much more prominent role for our older group Chelmsford youth voices with more music for them to perform and a chance to join the younger group in the finale items, including The Lords Prayer by David Fanshawe and Howard Goodall's song Refuge. It was great to have Simon Harvey's piano playing augmented by members of the Brighton band Kovak allowing us to extend our repertoire into some popular music including songs by the Beetles and Yusef Islam.

Saturday 15th December CYC Christmas Concert

CYC was very pleased to be joined by a quartet of young string players to perform music by Bob Chilcott, and the concert also gave the first performance opportunity for our developing group of older singers again focusing on the music of Bob Chilcott. The concert finished with a performance of Sheila Wilsons A Ghost Of A Chance, a group of songs based on A Christmas Carol by Dickens. The songs were interspersed with extracts of the original text read by David Higson.

Friday 16th November Barnardos at the Royal Albert Hall

Our second year as part of the Barnardos charity concert was again a fabulous experience for our young singers, a day in the City singing at a fantastic venue with hundreds of other singers all enjoying the act of joining together singing. It also gave us the opportunity to meet up with our friend Susannah Edom who began the choir with Simon and who regularly conducts the Albert Hall Concert.

Sunday 14th October Harvest for the Hungry

CYC took part in the Harvest for the Hungry service in The Meadows Shopping centre, Chelmsford, singing a beautiful setting of George Herbert A grateful Heart by Mary Plumsted and enjoying our own performance of the organisations signature tune Harvest for the Hungry.

May 19th 2007 Chelmsford Cathedral

CYC played a leading role in a concert featuring over 150 pupils from local schools. The concert jointly conducted by Janette Ruocco, Essex Music Services Choral Development Manager and Peter Nardone, director of music at the Cathedral, featured music relating to a country garden. CYC joined another youth choir and two secondary school chamber choirs in singing The Insect World by Richard Rodney Bennett. These four groups then led singers from six other schools in Bless the Lord by Andrew Carter a piece featuring songs about all kinds of beasts and finishing with a four part chorus. The event was felt to be all the more special it being the very last Cathedral Festival.

November 19th 2006 Royal Albert Hall

CYC enjoyed their first visit to the Royal Albert Hall taking part in the yearly charity concert organised by Barnardos. The massed choir event involved hundreds of children from many choirs all conducted by Susannah Edom, Barnardo's regular conductor for this event. CYC felt well prepared for the concert as Susannah has conducted our choir along with Simon from its beginning. The music varied from pop arrangements to a short cantata around the story of Guy Fawkes written by Margaret Rolf. We were also treated to the exciting and dynamic string quartet Eclipse who had come from recently playing live with Mc Fly.

Saturday 9th 2006 Trinity Methodist Church

CYC were pleased to feature along with Felsted Steel Band at a charity concert organised by UNICEF. Although we suffered from the unavoidable problem of other concerts taking place at other venues at this time of year, the choir and band made the most of the occasion with exciting programmes complimenting each other.

May 20th 2006 Trinity Methodist Church

CYC continued their collaboration with Boreham Ladies choir with a concert as part of the Chelmsford Cathedral Festival. The concert 'songs from the shows' was a fittingly successful event for the last day of this years cathedral festival. The choirs offered songs from different shows with both choirs joining in a Grease Medley as a the concert finale.

December 2005 St Andrews Hatfield Peveral

CYC had its debut as part of the Boreham Ladies Choir Christmas concert. Our 20 minutes of music consisted of an involved and energised performance of four spirituals along with a selection of songs from Les Miserables. The concert was a special achievement for the children having only rehearsed for less than a school term. We are all excited and confident of the future of the Chelmsford Youth Choir.

Pleshey Church

CYC feels keen to help charity organisations and events in raising money for good causes and our involvement in the Pleshey concert was one of these occasions. The choir played the central role in bringing two other vocal groups together, Billericay School and Fine Cuts Barbershop in a well balanced programme of music ranging from 9th century chant to Abba.

Saturday 16th June Boreham Primary School CYC Workshop

The workshop gave us the opportunity of a focused rehearsal, learning new music including Refuge by Howard Goodall which has quickly become a favourite piece for the singers in the choir.