LYC CHAMBER CHOIR
The LYC Chamber Choir is a 24-voice mixed voice choir for young people from across London aged 16 to age 23, and represents the culmination of the exceptional training offered to members on their LYC journey. Chamber Choir members are among London’s most advanced young choral singers, capable of tackling the most challenging and varied repertoire. Extra tuition and opportunities provide the richest possible musical experience and a gateway to early professional music-making for those interested in this path.
LYC Chamber Choir is for young people in school aged 16 to age 23 who live anywhere in London. Members of LYC Chamber Choir must also be members of London Youth Choir. LYC Chamber Choir requires high entry standards across vocal technique and musicianship.
To join LYC Chamber Choir you first need to audition. Membership of LYC Chamber Choir is on an annual basis and auditions take place in July and September of each year.
To find out all about auditioning, visit the Join LYC page.
Rehearsals are held from 6.00-7.15pm on Mondays during term time, in central London near St Paul’s. Members of LYC Chamber Choir then join the London Youth Choir rehearsal, from 7.30-8.45pm.
Rehearsals and performances demand the highest levels from all members, and reward with outstanding performance opportunities and skills development. There are two types of LYC Chamber Choir membership, Full and Flexible.
Full Membership
As a Full Member of LYC Chamber Choir you hold one of 20 paid Scholarship places. In return for a termly stipend of £160, to be used towards travel and singing lesson expenses, Full Members must attend all LYC Chamber Choir and London Youth Choir events. Full Members / Scholars with especially high technical and musical abilities may additionally be offered leadership opportunities within the other LYC choirs.
Flexible Membership
We also offer Flexible Membership of LYC Chamber Choir to those who may not be able to commit to the full LYC Chamber Choir / London Youth Choir schedule for various reasons. Flexible Members do not receive a stipend, but do receive fully-subsidised membership of London Youth Choir.
There is no membership fee for being a Full or Flexible member of LYC Chamber Choir.
LYC Chamber Choir offers some truly next-level experiences across training and performance, including some uniquely creative projects like this music video – enjoy!
ASK AWAY!
If you’ve got any questions about LYC Chamber Choir, we’ve almost certainly got the answers! Drop us an email (Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5.30pm) and we’ll be happy to help.
Greg Beardsell
Conductor / Musicianship Tutor
Greg is a leading light in music education and performance. His ability to inspire people of all ages to explore new musical horizons whilst sharing his diverse range of musical skills has created new and exciting music-making opportunities, particularly for young people.
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In addition to being Music Director of the London Youth Chamber Choir, he is Principal Conductor of the National Youth Training Choir and Associate Conductor of London Voices. He is also Musical Director of the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland, an ensemble established in 1995 as a peace initiative and composed of exceptionally talented young musicians from all over the island of Ireland. Every year, in collaboration with the orchestra, he conducts over 35,000 school children across Ireland and the UK in a concert series called the Peace Proms; performances which help to build and nurture vital cross community relations.
He has held directorships with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, the Irish Youth Choir, the Ulster Youth Choir and the Royal College of Music Chamber Choir and has presented seminars on conducting and teaching strategies for organisations such as Cambridge University, the Association of Swedish Choral conductors, Cornell University New York, and music education hubs across England.
He has conducted the BBC Symphony Chorus, London Bach Choir and the London Symphony Chorus and collaborated with conductors such as Marin Alsop, Edward Gardner and Sir Colin Davis. He has conducted the National Youth Orchestras of Ireland and Ulster, the City of London Sinfonia, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra in a range of performance and education projects.
An avid collaborator, with a Masters degree in composition, Greg has commissioned new music for choirs, electro-acoustic musicians, Irish folk ensembles, traditional Indian musicians, dance companies, pop stars and jazz bands.
He enjoys a very close association with Royal Albert Hall, devising the inaugural International Youth Choir Festival there in 2017. The festival, produced in collaboration between the RAH Education & Outreach team and the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, featured seminars, workshops and performances in the Hall and across the city from some of the finest choirs in the world. Greg also hosts the ‘Carols at the Hall’ shows, a series of multiple sold out performances across the festive period.
He is a guest presenter for BBC Radio 3’s Live in Concert, Inside Music and Choir and Organ programmes, and has featured as a choral music expert for the BBC Proms television broadcasts.
OUR PARTNER – CITY OF LONDON SCHOOL
LYC Chamber Choir is made possible through the generous in-kind support of City of London School.
OUR PARTNER – GARRICK CHARITABLE TRUST
LYC Chamber Choir is made possible through the generous support of Garrick Charitable Trust.
OUR PARTNER – LONDON PHILHARMONIC CHOIR
LYC Chamber Choir is made possible through the generous support of London Philharmonic Choir.
