Rehearsals take place at Mid Herts Centre for Music and Arts in Hatfield on Wednesday evenings during term time:
Both choirs are run by conductor, singer, and educator James Slimings.
The Hertfordshire County Youth Choir and Training Choir accept applications throughout the year, and auditions are not required.
Spring term 2025
Weekly Wednesday evening rehearsals return on Wednesday 8 January 2025.
Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala performances at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 23 March 2025. Visit the official Hertfordshire Schools' Gala webpage for more information about our special 30th anniversary celebration!
End of spring term concert: Wednesday 26 March 2025
December 2024: Hertfordshire County Youth Choir and County Youth Brass Band end of term festive celebration with young singers from Howe Dell Primary School and Welwyn St Mary’s Primary School. Repertoire included Christus Natus Est by Cecilia McDowall, and a selection of carols and festive-inspired works by all performers. Saturday 14 December at St Etheldreda’s Church, Hatfield. Conducted by James Slimings and Ashley Horton.
October 2024: Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival Young Musicians' Platform, Sunday 13 October at St Etheldreda's Church
July 2024: County Youth Choir & Training Choir end of term concert, Wednesday 17 July 2024 at St Michael & All Angels Church, Hatfield. Celebration of Y13 leavers including soloists and music by Bruckner, Imogen Heap, The Kings Singers, Monteverdi, and more! Conducted by James Slimings, accompanied by Richard Sisson
April 2024: Collaboration with the Hertfordshire Schools' Symphony Orchestra and Trestle School of Drama in a semi-staged performance of Grieg's Peer Gynt. 12- 13 April 2024.
March 2024: 'A Spring Garden' end of term concert at Watford School of Music, featuring Hertfordshire County Youth Choir and Training Choir on Saturday 23 March 2024.
December 2023: 'Winter Around the World' end of term concert at St Etheldreda's Church, featuring Hertfordshire County Youth Choir, Training Choir, and Cambiata Voices. Saturday 16 December 2023
October 2023: Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival. Members of HCYC performed Haydn's Creation in the Festival Finale on Sunday 1 October 2023.
July 2023: Saturday 15 July HCYC Summer Concert at St Etheldreda's Church, Hatfield. Concert programme featuring Eric Whitacre's 'Animal Crackers' Vol I & II
Hertfordshire Schools' Gala 2023: Singing as part of the SATB massed choir at the 2023 Herts Schools' Gala at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 30th April, 1.45pm and 7.45pm.
Spring 2023: Combined Choral Concert with Taplow Youth Choir and singers from Parmiter's School at Watford School of Music.
Christmas 2022: Joint performance of John WIlliams' 'Three Holiday Songs' from Home Alone with HSSO at Haileybury School.
December 2022: A performance as part of the Gabrieli ROAR programme at Ely Cathedral, alongside Gabrieli Consort and Players.
Spring 2022: Joint concert with Cantate on 27th March in Bishop’s Stortford. This followed on from the collaboration with Cantate in October at Hatfield House singing Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb.
Autumn 2021: 3rd October - Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival Concert with Cantate performing ‘Rejoice in the Lamb’ – Britten and ‘Vielle priere bouddhique’ - Lili Boulanger.
13th November - Gabrieli Roar concert. Haydn The Creation with Gabrieli Consort at Ely Cathedral.
Summer 2021: 30th June - Informal end of term outdoor concert to parents at Mid Herts Centre for Music & Arts
Hertfordshire Schools' Gala 2020 at the Royal Albert Hall, Sunday 8th March 1.45pm and 7.45pm
Autumn 2019: 22nd September open rehearsal with Monteverdi; 30th November - 1st December Residential at Academy Residences St Albans, with concert on 1st December (Semi-staged performance of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas) with musicians from the English Baroque Soloists
CBeebies Prom: Royal Albert Hall, 20th, 21st, 22nd July 2019
Members of CYC rehearsed and performed at this filmed Prom for BBC's CBeebies.
Repertoire included:
Puccini Humming Chorus; Zimmer Earth
CONCERT 'From The Heart': St Peter's Church, St Albans Saturday 23rd March 2019 7pm - joint concert with choirs from Dame Alice Owen's School.
Conductor Victoria Longdon
Accompanist Martin Sanders-Hewett
Repertoire included:
Earth Wind and Fire September; Morley Fyer Fyer; Des Prez El Grillo; Lauridsen Chansons des Roses. Joint with Dame Alice Owen's Choirs: Arr. Longdon Seasons of Love
CONCERT St Francis of Assisi Church, Welwyn Garden City Saturday 24th November 2018 7pm
Conductor Victoria Longdon
Accompanist Martin Sanders-Hewett
Cello Doraly Gill; Violin Hasan Isingor
Repertoire included:
J.S. Bach's Jesu Meine Freude; Mauersberger's Wie Liegt Die Stadt So Wust; Faure's Cantique de Jean Racine and Nocturne No.6 in D Flat; Cecilia McDowall's Everyday Wonders: The Girl from Aleppo
Hertfordshire Schools' Gala 2018 in Royal Albert Hall, Sunday 11th March 1.45pm and 7.45pm
David Wilcocks Sing (after Widor's Toccata)
Will Todd If I Had Wings - Commissioned for this world premiere performance
David Bowie (arr. Basford) Starman
Joey Tempest (arr. Basford) The Final Countdown
CONCERT in St George's Chapel, St George's School, Saturday 25th November 2017 7pm
Conductor Victoria Longdon
Accompanist Martin Sanders-Hewett
SoloistsTom Isherwood & Benjamin Carnell
Repertoire included:
Ralph Vaughan Williams' Fantastia on Christmas Carols & Wassail Song; John Tavener's A Christmas Choral Collection; Will Todd's My Lord Has Come
CONCERT in St Peter's Church, St Albans, Saturday 11th March 7pm, with the Gabrieli Consort, Cantate and the Taplow Youth Choir.
Repertoire:
Haydn Harmoniemesse
CONCERT Saturday 3rd December 2017, St John's Church Boxmoor, 7.30pm
Conductor Victoria Longdon
Piano Alex Montaque & Martin Sanders-Hewett
Kit Jeremiah Joshua Wallace
Electric Bass Shannon St. Luce
Repertoire:
Burton Rivers of Babylon & Feel the Spirit
Harvey Battle of Jericho
Jackson/Milner and Smith Higher and Higher
Simone I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free
Hawkins/Read Going up a Yonder
Campbell/Burrell Can't Give up Now
Houston I Wanna Dance with Somebody
Smallwood arr. Doreen Rao Total Praise
Franklin arr. Dan Galbraith Hosanna
Ashford and Simpson Ain't No Mountain High Enough
CONCERT Monday 4th July 2016, 7pm in Ely Cathedral
Conductor Paul McCreesh
Mendelssohn Hear My Prayer
Wesley Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace
Wesley Blessed be the God and Father
Elgar Give unto the Lord
Howells Gloucester Service Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis
Summer Residential 2nd - 4th July 2016 in Cambridge as part of the Gabrieli Roar Project.