FYC members raise £6,550 in Music Marathon !!

Like so many arts organisations, our choir has suffered financially over the last 12 months with the loss of concert ticket money, venue cancellation costs and the additional costs of running COVID-secure rehearsals. Each term under COVID restrictions results in a £6,000 loss for FYC!

We all really miss our choir rehearsals - the joy of singing together and our friendships - and we can't wait until we can all sing together again.

Our members challenged themselves to make as much music as they could during December 2020 to raise money to help fund our choir - congratulations to all as they raised a whopping £6,550 !!

New Music Director for the FYC Junior Choir

We are delighted to announce that another familiar face will be stepping forward in January, when Margaret O’Shea will become Music Director of the Junior Choir. Margaret directed the Junior Choir throughout Patrick’s recent sabbatical, and returns to continue the fantastic work she and the young singers achieved together last term.

Margaret is Director of Music for Ark Schools, a network of 38 schools around the UK, where she leads Ark’s music curriculum and enrichment programmes. She is also a trustee of NYCGB (National Youth Choirs, Great Britain). a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and of the Royal Northern College of Music.

She is a qualified teacher and a staunch advocate for inclusivity in education and for the importance of music in young peoples’ development and wellbeing.

FYC's new Artistic Director

FYC is delighted to announce that Patrick Barrett will be its new Artistic Director from January 2021. Patrick is. of course, well known to FYC having previously being Assistant Director and Director of the Junior Choir. He is very much in demand in the UK and abroad, and is also Junior Chorus Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Conductor of the Irish Youth Training Choir.

We are so pleased to have a familiar and popular figure to lead FYC going forward, and Patrick’s vision for our choirs is bold and exciting. Patrick says: ‘I’m delighted to be starting in this new role with Farnham Youth Choir, a community of singers so dear to my heart”

Sir Jeffrey Tate (1943-2017)

It was especially sad for us to learn this month of the death at the age of 74 of Sir Jeffrey Tate, formerly Farnham Youth Choir’s Honorary President.  A former resident of Farnham and an alumnus of Farnham Grammar School (now Farnham College),  Jeffrey Tate was best known as one of this country’s leading conductors working with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including as Principal Conductor of the Royal Opera House and as Chief Conductor of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, a position he held up until his death.

Before deciding on a career in music, he studied Medicine at Cambridge University and then specialised in ophthalmic surgery at St Thomas’ hospital in London.   A talented pianist, it is probably less well known that he was a leading repetiteur, working with, amongst others, Georg Solti, Colin Davis, Pierre Boulez and Maria Callas.

A man of incredible talent, he had to battle against adversity all of his life having been born with spina bifida.  Although spending most of his musical career living abroad, he never forgot Farnham or his friends at FYC, maintaining correspondence with us right up until his death.  Indeed, a chance encounter with FYC’s Chairman in London earlier this year was an opportunity for him to catch-up on news.

"Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas ...."

“Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the Farnham Youth Choir ..” was overheard in a Farnham supermarket last week.   And so they all packed into the United Reformed Church last Sunday evening for a concert of Christmas music and readings.  Beautifully crafted by our Musical Director, Jo Tomlinson and Alison Noakes, a dozen choir pieces were interspersed with festive literature and audience carols.

FYC is most grateful to all at Farnham URC for allowing their usual evening service to be substituted by this concert.  How else could we finish such a wonderful evening ? Mulled wine and mince pies – Christmas is now Christmas !

Junior Choirs Christmas Celebration Concert

Saturday 3rd December saw the FYC Junior Choirs perform in their Christmas Celebration at the United Reformed Church in Farnham.  Looking resplendent in their new t-shirt uniforms (making their debut), the atmosphere was also suitably informal and joyful.  FYC accompanist, Matthew Rickard, was kept on his toes throughout, be it on the up-and-down between piano and organ console or on the organ pedals.  The Junior Girls and then the Junior Boys served up festive offerings, including a wonderful arrangement by our own Patrick Barrett of the juxtaposing  “Cold are the People” and “Silent Night”.  The Training Choir joined the Junior Choirs for some movements from Ian Assersohn's "Dies Irae" before providing their own Christmas selection box of musical treats.  Audience Carols ensured all had a share of the festive cheer.  Thanks to all members of the choirs, and to choir directors Patrick, Jo and Sarah, and to accompanist Matthew.