St Mary's Students successfully audition for places in the National Youth Choir of Great Britain

Music is a thriving subject option for girls at St Mary's and many of our students throughout Junior, Senior and the Sixth Form greatly enjoy the musical extra-curricular activities from choirs and orchestras to competition and stage performances. The success of our musical department and the excellence of St Mary's students has been highlighted by the recent successful auditions of two students for places in the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. 

Two talented students from St Mary's school have been selected to join the prestigious National Youth Choir of Great Britain, a remarkable achievement that highlights the exceptional musical talent within our student body. Alice K. (Year 12) and Ellen R. (Year 7), both members of various senior choir members, successfully navigated a highly competitive audition process that assessed vocal range, technical skill, and musical interpretation. Their selection represents not only a personal triumph but also reflects the high-calibre musical education and training provided by our school's music department. Both students will participate in national performances and receive advanced vocal training, offering them a unique opportunity to develop their musical abilities at a professional level. This accomplishment underscores our commitment to nurturing artistic excellence and providing pathways for students to pursue their creative passions.

Sonia Gears, Director of Music said,

We are absolutely thrilled to hear that both Alice and Ellen have been successful in gaining places in the National Youth Choir. This remarkable achievement is testament to their hard work, dedication and talent.

Alice K. described how nervous she was prior to the audition, but gained confidence from detailed preparation from her singing teacher. She cited how the St Mary's musical programme had helped prepare her for the audition and that 'performing in the Young Musician of the Year competition made [her] more comfortable performing and provided [her] with useful feedback about [her] performance which [she doesn't] normally get. It was also good practice to sing in a competitive setting which is so supportive before going on to do more competitions and going through other selection processes.' 

Ellen R. said that the audition process was 'was absolutely terrifying' despite the examiners being incredibly nice and understanding. She cited her experience as a chorister at St Catherine's College Girls Choir as an incredibly rewarding experience, which alongside the St Mary's musical programme gave her excellent preparation for the interview process. She hopes that her experience playing a range of instruments will help her 'learn new things faster'. 

Both Ellen and Alice are optimistic about what they will come to do in the future with the choir, with Alice saying she is 'most looking forward to singing a wide range of music with the choir' while Ellen can't wait for the opportunity to 'meet lots of new musicians and learn more about singing'.