Halifax Young Singers is described by Dr Gordon Stewart as "one of the great youth choirs in Britain" and we've just come to the end of a great 16th season. The Chamber Choir was proud to perform in the National Festival of Music for Youth in Birmingham in July, entertaining the adjudictors and audience with three contrasting pieces. After their performance in the regional heat the well-respected adjudictor David Parkinson wrote "Congratulations, you really choose ambitious, interesting and exciting programmes. Here we have a piece composed of traditional singing, vocal and body sound effects and how well you combine them to give a compelling and musical performance. The sound you produce is mature, tuneful and harmonic. Your parts are secure and self-assured and voices of quality. The performance was shaped demonstrating a wide range of dynamics, sustained and controlled phrases and musical flair."

Our new season will begin on Thursday 4th September and we would be delighted to welcome new members to help build on our success and sing with us. Our rehearsals are held every Thursday during Calderdale school terms. We extend a warm invitation to new singers to join us for a few rehearsals to see the choir "in action". The Youth Choir, for singers in school years 5-8, meets from 6.45pm to 8.00pm and the Chamber Choir, for singers in years 9 and above, meets from 8.00pm to 9.30pm.

Rehearsals are held at Carlton United Reformed Church, Carlton Street, Halifax. We are proud once again be offering wonderful musical opportunities for members of the choir, and forging further links with young people from musical groups in this area.

HYS is a group of young people who truly captivate their audiences and is an organisation which brings out the very best in its young singers in so many ways. The quality of the choir’s performances comes from the expert leadership of Lynn Hudson and Craig Cockerill, our Music Team, and from our members, whose enjoyment of their singing is evident to audiences in this country and abroad.

2008-2009 SEASON

The choir’s seventeenth season begins with rehearsals on Thursday 4th September at Carlton URC, Carlton Street, Halifax.

Our Autumn Concert will take place at Carlton URC on Saturday 6th November.

Christmas is then upon us! On Saturday 1st December HYS will give a concert at Carlton URC in aid of the West Yorkshire Forget-me-Not Trust. HYS will really get into the Christmas spirit with the Kirklees Youth Symphony Orchestra on 21st December at St Paul’s Hall, Huddersfield. A retiring collection will be taken for Kirkwood Hospice.

The Spring term will bring HYS together with our friends in the Calderdale Youth Guitar Ensemble. The two groups perform together under the name of 'Highly Strung and Far2Vocal' and will give a concert at Square Chapel, Halifax on 1st February in aid of the Forget-me-Not Trust and then audition for the National Festival of Music for Youth in March. The group will perform a work especially commissioned for the festival. Composer Sam Dunkley has been working with our musicians from the very beginning of the compositional process and this is giving the group real ownership of the piece. Both CYGE and HYS have reached the finals of the National Festival in 2005, 2007 and 2008 and look forward to participating again in 2009. Recent adjudications have included such plaudits as “outstanding” and “congratulations, you really choose ambitious, interesting and exciting programmes.”

The HYS Spring term will conclude with a performance on 28th March at Carlton URC featuring repertoire for the Easter season.

The choir will present its own Concert for Summer at Carlton URC on Saturday 17th May and will be performing at St Mary’s Church, Luddenden on Saturday 27th June.

Members of the Youth Choir will round off the season with their annual informal 'Sweeties' concert on Thursday 2nd July.

HALIFAX YOUNG SINGERS.......ENTERTAIN - NOW AVAILABLE ON CD The Young Singers CD 'Halifax Young Singers.....Entertain' features many of the Young Singers favourite numbers and as it is a live recording really captures the spirit of the choir. The CD is priced just £8.50, including postage and packing. Order your copy of 'Halifax Young Singers...Entertain' Now! (340kb PDF form)

A REVIEW OF OUR RECENT SEASONS

Performances by the Halifax Young Singers during recent seasons have been described as:

"outstanding", "life enhancing", "a triumph", "captivating", "spellbinding" and "a collaboration of youth, good music and total enjoyment"

"This was by far the best concert I have heard".

In recent National Festival of Music for Youth heats well-respected adjudicators have said

"This is a very impressive, disciplined and musical choir. Tonality absolutely secure. Your performance of Nova! Nova! was stunning."

"You perform with clear pleasure, class, assurance and quality. Your tone and diction belie your youth."

"An outstanding performance of an outstanding piece"

"Your sound was lovely throughout - the balance was a credit to your maturity as performers."

"Impressively large ensemble. Great stuff! This is a terrific undertaking! Lovely to see you tackling demanding and thought-provoking repertoire! Very well done!"

Dr Simon Lindley describes the Young Singers as "The Jewel in Calderdale's Cultural Crown"