National Youth Choir

National Youth Choir

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Home to the UK's most extraordinary young singers, we create diverse pathways into singing for all young people.

We're five choirs of nine hundred young people aged 9-25, and a national singing champion reaching hundreds more every year through outreach. We run inspirational residential courses and training programmes, create remarkable concerts and performances, and work in partnership to get singing happening in schools. We do it because since 1983 we've seen how singing together transforms young people's lives, and we want it to transform the lives of thousands more.

13/08/2026

Calling Jacob Collier fans!

Our 15-18s smashed it out the park with ‘Little Blue’ last year, and next week they’ll be performing ‘World O World’ in Birmingham with Matthew Quinn.

What Jacob Collier song should we sing next?

05/08/2026

Our 9-15 choir gave an absolutely beautiful performance to open National Youth Choir's summer concert season on Saturday.

Here they perform Turn by October Project, a piece created to offer comfort in a troubled world 💜

30/07/2026

Our 9-15 choir are rehearsing for their concert this Saturday and they are making such an incredible sound!

Hang on to your hats, this is only 1/3 of the full choir!!

24/07/2026

National Youth Choir have commissioned two new works from Shruthi Rajasekar: Composer & Vocalist. The pieces will receive their world premiere at Cheltenham Town Hall on Sunday 2 August, performed by National Youth Choir (18-25 Years).

This summer National Youth Choir reach a remarkable milestone in commissioning our 100th piece of new choral music. Shruthi’s new pieces will be joined by new works from Jim Papoulis, written for and with our 9-15 choir, and Esther Bersweden, a 2025 Emerging Professional Artist who will be writing for our 15-18-year-old singers.

Shruthi was part of the 2018/19 Emerging Professional Artist Composer cohort and during that time, the choir recorded her two pieces written during the scheme. Later Shruthi was commissioned for a third piece, released on the National Youth Choir Recordings label. Shruthi's diverse output reflects her diasporic South Asian identity and her belief in the importance of communal gathering and civic engagement.

We are so excited to be working with Shruthi again this summer, and to be singing her brand-new commissions, Where Bison Knelt and Give the Land Back.

If you want to be the first to hear these remarkable new pieces, book your tickets for NYC at Cheltenham Town Hall (link in comments).

15/07/2026

We had so much fun at the Music for Youth National Festival last week!

We love partnering with Music for Youth to deliver workshops for school choirs and singing groups from across the UK. We can’t wait until the autumn when we’ll hopefully see some of the same singers trying out to join our national choirs 🎶

11/07/2026

This is our how-to guide for protecting your voice tonight during the England game! Good support, remember your technique and ideally, not too much screaming!

Come on England!!

08/07/2026

Applications now open for our Emerging Professional Artists programme!

If you’re aged 18-28 trying to find your way in the professional choral world, this fully funded mentoring scheme is for you.

We welcome applications from:
🙌 CHORAL LEADERS - choral conductors, educators and performers who are passionate about bringing people together to sing.
🎶 COMPOSERS - people who are committed to developing as professional composers, who love to write for vocal ensembles, and are excited about working with young voices.

With the help of world-class choral professionals and educators, you’ll build the networks, skills and audiovisual assets you need to kickstart your portfolio career

You do not need to have formal music training to become an Emerging Professional Artist - just a passion for working with young singers to make great music

Apply by Monday 21 September 🔗 link in bio

26/06/2026

Balleilakka is back!!

It’s been 10 years since this amazing music video was recorded by National Youth Choir (15-18 Years) - then known as Training Choir. Balleilakka has gone on to be one of our most popular recordings and we’re so excited for National Youth Choir to bring it back this summer in Cheltenham! 🔗 tickets in comments!

Say hello in the comments if you were in the original recording!

25/06/2026

Congratulations to our wonderful 9-15s choir - you are Gramophone's Video of the Day!

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Location

Telephone

Address


Ushaw Historic House, Chapel & Gardens, Woodland Rd
Durham
DH79RH

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm