FYC announces partnership with Surrey Music Hub

Farnham Youth Choir is delighted to announce a new partnership with Surrey Music Hub. 

Farnham Youth Choir’s dedicated team of professional musicians, led by Artistic Director, Patrick Barrett, provides high-quality choral training and exceptional performance opportunities. Our core offer is the provision of three choirs for children in the Farnham area: a training choir for children in school years two to four; a junior choir for children in school years five to seven/eight and a senior choir for children and young people in school years seven to thirteen (upper voices only). In addition, we run an annual singing morning in Farnham which is free for Year 2 children to attend (funded by Farnham Town Council), as well as offering free singing workshops to local primary schools. 

Surrey Music Hub is responsible for delivering the National Plan for Music Education. They act as an advocate for music education, and encourage young people to take part in music. They support high-quality delivery across Surrey and work closely with partners to deliver a rich programme of activities, both in-school and out-of-school. These are designed to give children and young people the opportunity to sing, learn to play musical instruments and progress with their music making.

Farnham Youth Choir’s Chair of Trustees, Melanie Hancox, said, ‘we are delighted to be working with Surrey Music Hub. This new partnership offers both of us the opportunity to benefit from each other’s considerable experience of inspiring young people to new heights of musical excellence. This strategic partnership will see FYC board members contributing to the development of music education in Surrey and FYC benefitting from improved communications with local schools.’

FYC Singing Spree 2023 is a roaring success!

Farnham Youth Choir’s second annual Singing Spree took place at Farnham Maltings on Friday 23rd June, 2023, and was a roaring success! 300 Year 2 children from six local primary schools took part in the morning, which was led by FYC’s brilliant conductors Patrick Barrett, Margaret O’Shea and Claire Robins, accompanied by Susan Norman.

Many of the schools had already had a workshop visit from Claire Robins earlier this year and so had the opportunity to learn a new song, ‘There’s a dinosaur in my garden’ by Claire McCue, in advance. They had also been able to practise along with a video made by FYC’s Melanie Hancox, featuring the Training Choir. It was fantastic to hear the schools all come together and raise the roof with this catchy song, complete with actions!

The children also learnt some new songs on the day which they sang alongside FYC and were then treated to short performances from the three choirs. FYC Senior Choir’s (gold-medal-winning!) performance of ‘Joshua’ had the children particularly spellbound.

Our children loved every minute of it! We thoroughly enjoyed last year, but I think this year was even better. Thank you for an engaging and uplifting workshop.

St Peter’s C of E Primary School, Farnham

A fantastic morning of singing provided by such enthusiastic leaders!

St Mary’s Church of England (Aided) Infant School, Frensham

We were delighted that the Mayor of Farnham, Councillor Alan Earwaker, was also in attendance to present a donation from Farnham Town Council’s Community Grant towards this event, which was free for schools to attend.

All children in Years 2-4 (current Years 1-3) are invited to come along to FYC’s next open rehearsal on 28th June at 5.15pm at Farnham Maltings. Go to https://www.fyc.org.uk/join-us-tc to register.

FYC have The X Factor

On 1st December 2018, Farnham Youth Choir took to the stage at one of the biggest live televised events of the year as part of the Live Final of ITV’s ‘The X Factor’ at Wembley Arena.

Forty choir members sang alongside finalist Scarlett Lee as she performed Sir Elton John’s Your Song, also featured in this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert and popularised by Ewan McGregor in the Baz Luhrmann film, Moulin Rouge.

FYC on stage with Scarlett Lee at Wembley Arena

With only 24 hours’ notice, FYC’s senior choir raced to join forces with Thames TV, recording a full studio version of the performance at Metropolis Studios, Chiswick. The following day, Saturday 1st December, the choir piled on to a coach for Wembley Arena, rehearsing during the day and singing in the live final at 7.30pm.

Performing as part of the first hour-long series finale, FYC shared the billing with the contestants, series judge Robbie Williams, global superstar George Ezra, Emile Sande and former X Factor winner Leona Lewis. Despite the watchful gaze of the series judges and music business supremo Simon Cowell, the choir’s performance lit up the arena.

Choir member Elliott Keys (11) who only joined the choir this year, said, ‘this is such a surreal experience, standing on the X-factor stage was breath-taking.’

For nearly 40 years Farnham Youth Choir have performed at the highest levels of choral excellence, singing at both The Vatican and Notre Dame in the past two years. FYC will be entering the Grand Prix of Nations & European Choir Games in Gothenburg in August 2019.