FYC to perform with National Youth Orchestra at BBC Proms

Farnham Youth Choir is thrilled to have been invited to perform with the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) in a series of concerts, culminating with a sold-out performance on Saturday 9th August 2025 at the BBC Proms in London’s Royal Albert Hall. 

FYC will join the NYO in the last movement of Holst’s The Planets, which features an off-stage choir of upper voices in the final movement, ‘Neptune’. These talented young people will also be performing the same programme, entitled ‘Beyond’, in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall and Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Suffolk on 6th and 8th August. 

After 40 years of choral excellence, Farnham Youth Choir has developed into a family of choirs that supports children to achieve extraordinary things through a shared love of singing. FYC has previously won several international choral competitions, including most recently, under the leadership of their Artistic Director, Patrick Barrett, double gold medals at the World Choir Games (2024, New Zealand). 

Patrick Barrett said: ‘For our small, town choir to be invited to such a prestigious, globally recognised event is a tremendous honour. I’m incredibly proud of our young singers, whose hard work and dedication made this invitation possible.’

FYC Chair of Trustees, Melanie Hancox, said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled at being able to offer this remarkable performance opportunity to our young singers. While this might be our first appearance at the Proms in recent times, we hope it won’t be our last!’

Join Us!

The next open rehearsals for all three choirs will be on 10th and 17th September 2025.

Training Choir is for Years 2-4, Junior Choir Years 5-7 and Senior Choir (upper voices only) Years 7-13.

All rehearsals take place at Farnham Maltings at 5.15pm.

We’d love to see you there! Please go to fyc.org.uk/joinus to register.

Senior Choir excited to perform at Royal Albert Hall

FYC’s Senior Choir are excited to be part of a massed choir of over 400 voices at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, 13th July. They will be joining Vivace Chorus and Guildford Choral Society alongside two other adult choirs and Tiffin School Choir, together with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and world-renowned soloists Nicky Spence and Lucy Crowe.

The all-French programme begins with the Daphnis et Chloé 2nd suite by Ravel, followed by Poulenc’s wonderful Gloria. The epic Berlioz Te Deum closes the show in considerable style! For tickets to what promises to be a spectacular evening, go to:

www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2025/berlioz-te-deum

The Perfect Mother's Day Treat

On Mothering Sunday, 30th March, FYC’s Senior Choir - conducted by Patrick Barrett and accompanied by Matthew Rickard - performed a wonderfully varied programmed in St Thomas-on-the-Bourne church. There was something for everyone in the programme, with repertoire ranging from seventeenth-century Spanish composer Javier Busto’s Popule Meus to present-day Malaysian composer Tracy Wong’s Singkap Siaga. There was even some Elton John! The often challenging music (not to mention the complicated rhythmic clapping and stamping) was performed to FYC’s usual exceptional standard and was very warmly received by the audience.

The choral works were interspersed by solo performances from several senior members of the choir, including Madeleine Perryman on saxophone, Ben Haines-West on piano, and Natalie Wingfield, soprano. The confident and mature performances from these talented young people were a real treat, as was the four-part vocal ensemble’s rendition of Oliver Tarney’s The Silver Swan. It was a truly delightful way to spend a spring evening!

First FYC Singing Spree in Aldershot is a success

On Wednesday, 26 March 2025 Farnham Youth Choir held their first Singing Spree at Princes Hall, Aldershot. We have been running this event at Farnham Maltings for the past three years but this is the first time we have visited the Princes Hall, and it was fab! Over 400 Year 2 children and their teachers attended from six local schools, as well as Councillor Clive Grattan, former Mayor, from Rushmoor Borough Council.

Claire Robins and Patrick Barrett, accompanied by pianist Susan Norman, led a fantastic morning of singing including 'Stand Next To Me' and 'I Just Gotta Sing', by local composer (and FYC alum) Suzzie Vango. All the schools had learnt the song‘We Are One’ by Mark and Helen Johnson, and gave a rousing performance, together with BSL signing.

Feedback from the schools that took part has been really positive and we hope to welcome any keen singers from Aldershot and Farnborough schools to our next, free open rehearsals, which take place on 23rd and 30th April at Farnham Maltings. To sign up go to www.fyc.org.uk/joinus.

FYC Junior Choir runner-up in Barnardo's National Choir Competiton

Farnham Youth Choir is delighted that our Junior Choir was awarded runner-up in the Traditional category in the final of the Barnardo’s National Choir Competition 2025. 

The choir performed Bee! I’m Expecting You! by Emma Lou Diemer and The Moon by Andy Beck, conducted by Margaret O’Shea and accompanied by Susan Norman. The judges received over 70 entries from all over the UK and only 16 were chosen for the grand final. 

The event, held on 4th March at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, showcased some of the finest youth choirs from across the UK. The Barnardo’s National Choir Competition, now in its 17th year, is the largest schools and community choir competition in the UK. 

Melanie Hancox, Chair of Trustees, said, ‘Birmingham Symphony Hall was a huge and very intimidating performance space, but the children rose to the challenge and wowed the judges. Their hard work really paid off. We’re so proud of them all!’

Margaret O’Shea, Junior Choir conductor, said, ‘the singers worked really hard on music and technique, but in the end, they really showed their love for singing as they performed. That’s what won over the audience.’

Congratulations on your well-deserved award, Junior Choir!