40 years of historic achievement pdf
Success and recognitioN
2024 13th World Choir Games, Auckland (New Zealand): Grand Prix of Nations, 2 x Gold Medal Winners (Secondary School Choir category and Music Sacra with accompaniment)
2023 Performed in the World Premiere of, ‘Jonah’ by Ian Fletcher at Cadogan Hall with the London Symphony Chorus and the National Symphony Orchestra (Junior & Senior Choirs)
2023 Hull International Choir Competition: Youth Choirs of Equal Voices: Category and Gold Medal Winner
2023 Hull International Choir Competition: Sacred Choral Music a capella: Silver Medal Winner
2022 Recording: 'The History Express' - by Russell Hepplewhite and lyricist Helen Eastman. Senior, Junior and Training Choir providing the backing track for this song book for primary school children.
2022 Recording: 'Herstory' - commission by composer in residence, Russell Hepplewhite and lyricist, Helen Eastman. Three songs were written for the three FYC choirs, celebrating eminent women in history.
2020 Barnardo’s National Choral Competition: Junior Choir competed in the finals at Royal Festival Hall
2019 Two performances in the Sion Festival, Switzerland
2019 4th European Choir Games, Gothenburg (Sweden): Grand Prix of Nations, 2 x Gold Medal Winners (Youth Choir category and Music Sacra with accompaniment)
2018 ITV’s The X Factor - Live Final - Wembley Arena
2017 Performance in Notre-Dame de Paris, France
2016 Competed in the finals of the Barnardos National Choir Competition at Royal Festival Hall (Girls Choir)
2015 2nd European Choir Games, Magdeburg (Germany): Grand Prix of Nations, Gold Medal Winners
2015 2nd European Choir Games, Magdeburg (Germany): Gold Medal - First Place (Children’s Choir Champions of Europe)
2013 Eagle Radio's Local Heroes Music Award
2013 Montreux Choral Festival (Switzerland): Grand Prix and Prix de Public winners
2012 7th World Choir Games, Cincinnati (USA): 1 gold (Equal Voices) and 1 silver (Musica Sacra) medal
2010 Youth Choir of the Year: Finalist
2010 XXI Concorso Internazionale di Canto Corale, Verona (Italy): Ottimo Oro (overall winner) and Premio Speciale (best conductor and best choice of programme)
2009 Montreux Choral Festival (Switzerland): Runner-up (Excellent with distinction)
2008 National Festival of Music for Youth, Birmingham: Highly commended
2007 BBC Radio 4: Water of Tyne is JP Donleavy’s first choice on Desert Island Discs
2006 4th World Choir Games, Xiamen (China): 2 silver medals and 2 gold diplomas
2005 Montreux Choral Festival (Switzerland): 1st prize (Audience)
2005 BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year: Finalist
2004 52nd European Youth Choral Festival, Neerpelt (Belgium): 1st prize cum laude
2002 Sainsbury's Youth Choir of the Year: Finalist
1999 Jersey International Festival: 1st prize (Youth Choirs Section) and Overall Winner
1998 BBC/Sainsbury's Youth Choir of the Year: 1st prize
1998 International Choir Competition, Riva del Garda (Italy): Gold award and 1st prize (Children's Section)
1998 National Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London: Outstanding performance award
1997 MBE awarded to David Victor-Smith for services to Farnham Youth Choir
1994 Smetana International Festival, Litomyšl (Czech Republic): Gold award and 1st prize (Children's Section) and Folk Song award
1993 Tolosa International Choral Festival (Spain)
1992 Sainsbury's Youth Choir of the Year: 1st prize
1992 National Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London: Outstanding performance award
1991 National Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London: Outstanding performance award
1989 National Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London: Outstanding performance award
1987 National Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London: Highly commended award
In major concerts
2016 Major celebration concert at the Anvil, Basingstoke
2014 Guildford Cathedral: A Candlelit Christmas Concert with Russell Watson
2013 Fairfield Halls, Croydon: John Rutter’s Christmas Celebration with John Rutter and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2013 Guildford Cathedral: part of the Cathedral Tour with Aled Jones
2013 Guildford Cathedral: John Rutter's Mass of the Children with Vivace Chorus
2010 The Anvil, Basingstoke: Anniversary Concert with The King's Singers
2009 Cadogan Hall, London: John Rutter's Mass of the Children with the Choir and Orchestra of London
2007 Royal Albert Hall, London: John Rutter's Christmas concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Choir of London
2007 Imperial War Museum, London: Premiere of Stolen Voices by Tarik O'Regan, a special commission for World Peace Day
2007 Royal Festival Hall, London: Reopening ceremony
2006 St. Paul's Cathedral, London: John Rutter's Mass of the Children with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2006 Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing (China): Gala concert
2005 Royal Albert Hall, London: John Rutter's Christmas concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2004 Royal Festival Hall, London: John Rutter's Christmas concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Choral Society
2003 Guildford Cathedral, UK premiere of John Rutter's Mass of the Children
2003 Royal Festival Hall, London: John Rutter's Christmas concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Choral Society
1998 Royal Albert Hall, London: Festival of Remembrance
1998 Mansion House, City of London
2001 Other UK performances have taken place at Symphony Hall, Birmingham; Buxton Opera House; St. John's Smith Square, London; King's College, Cambridge; St. George's Chapel, Windsor; St. James's Palace, London; Eton College Chapel; and Winchester Cathedral.
On television
2015 BBC: Songs of Praise, singing Ave Maria, recorded at the Royal Garrison Church, Aldershot
2014 BBC: Live broadcast of Songs of Praise singing In Flanders Fields on Remembrance Sunday marking 100 years since the start of World War I at the Royal Garrison Church, Aldershot
2012 BBC: BBC South Today
2010 ITV: Carols at Christmas from Christopher's, The Chase Children's Hospice, Guildford
1999 BBC: Songs of Praise from The Bishop’s Palace, Wells Cathedral
1998 BBC: The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance from the Royal Albert Hall, in the presence of the Queen
1998 BBC: Blue Peter
1992 BBC: Blue Peter
2001 FYC has also been featured on the BBC during Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year competitions in 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2004.
On CD and DVD
2013 All Things Pass is a collection of songs from FYC’s repertoire between 2011 to 2013 in the genres of folksong and sacred song.
2011 Hosanna is a collection of songs appropriate to the Christian festivals of Advent and Christmas, with a diverse mix of styles and moods, recorded over a period of several years
2009 25th Birthday Concert, the choir’s anniversary event at The Anvil, Basingstoke, live on CD and highlights on DVD
2009 Celebration!, a double album of selected songs recorded over 25 years, with a Live Bonus CD of major commissions in world premieres
2008 John Rutter's Christmas Festival, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cambridge Singers
2008 Yo Le Canto covers the previous three years of FYC repertoire, with a wide variety of sacred and secular items
2005 John Rutter's Mass of the Children, with the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
2005 Laudate covers the previous two years' repertoire, with a wide variety of sacred and secular items
2001 A Dream of Snow, includes this song cycle by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and items from the choir's repertoire at that time
1999 Carnival!, premiered by FYC, takes its name from a modern adaptation of Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals by Gwyn Arch and Jeremy Browne; it also includes the winning songs from Sainsbury's Choir of the Year 1998 and items performed at that year's Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall
1997 Sing You Now includes Four Elizabethan Lyrics, commissioned from Ronald Corp, plus items from the choir's repertoire at that time.
1996 Hodie is a collection of Christmas items ranging from carols by Britten and Rutter to traditional and much–loved favourites
1993 Water of Tyne, the choir's first CD, recorded in 1993 and including most of the songs performed at the Sainsbury's Choir of the Year competition in 1992.
Commissions and premieres
2012 New-made For a King by James MacMillan – commissioned and premiered, and recorded on All Things Pass
2012 Ken Johnston arrangement of the Scottish folk song Ca’ the Yowes – commissioned and premiered, and recorded on All Things Pass
2011 Philip Lawson arrangement of the English folk song The Oak and the Ash – commissioned and premiered, and recorded on All Things Pass
2011 Festival Alleluia by James Whitbourn – commissioned by the Farnham Festival, premiered by FYC, and recorded on All Things Pass
2009 Gwyn Arch arrangements of Over the Rainbow by Harold Arlen and Where or When by Richard Rodgers – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on 25th Birthday Concert CD
2009 Gray’s Pier by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queen’s Music – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Celebration!
2009 Silver by Graham Ross – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Celebration!
2007 It Sounded as if the Streets Were Running by Jonathan Dove – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Yo Le Canto
2007 Stolen Voices by Tarik O'Regan – premiered at the Imperial War Museum (not available on CD)
2003 Four Bashō Settings by Augusta Read Thomas – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Celebration!
2003 Gwyn Arch arrangements of the standard classics Sweet Georgia Brown, Anything Goes and Blue Moon – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Laudate
2001 A Dream of Snow by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on A Dream of Snow
2000 Douglas Coombes arrangements of two English folk songs, O Rare Turpin Hero and Sweet Polly Oliver – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on A Dream of Snow
1999 Peter Gritton arrangement of the standard classic Fever – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on A Dream of Snow
1999 Gwyn Arch arrangement of the English folk song Beautiful Nancy – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on A Dream of Snow
1999 Gwyn Arch arrangement of Saint-Saëns's The Carnival of the Animals – premiered and recorded on Carnival!
1993 Four Elizabethan Lyrics by Ronald Corp – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Sing You Now
1991 Epigraminals by Grayston Ives – commissioned by the Farnham Festival and premiered by FYC (not available on CD)
Special relationships
John Rutter Composer and Conductor
Invitation to perform Christmas concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, involving a subsequent commercial recording released by Collegium.
Invitation to give the UK Premiere at Guildford Cathedral of his world-acclaimed Mass of the Children, followed by further performances (St. Paul's Cathedral; King’s College Chapel, Cambridge) and a recording released by Naxos.
Sing Up - The Music Manifesto's National Singing Programme. FYC has recorded several collections of music for this government-sponsored initiative, accessible on–line at www.singup.org/songbank/song-bank/
Community support and former choir parents
Through its work with and for young people FYC has generated an astonishing level of long-term parental and community support. The success of choirs like ours stands or falls with the commitment of volunteers.
In Andreas Klatt and the late Chris Mansell we have also been fortunate to have had visionary supporters with a lively interest in the artistic development of the choir, resulting in ground-breaking commissions from leading composers of our time.