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Hertfordshire County Youth Choir welcomes all young vocalists from year 9 and above who aspire to engage with high quality and varied choral repertoire alongside other likeminded singers from across Hertfordshire. HCYC meet for weekly rehearsals and offer inspiring performance opportunities throughout the year. Participating in HCYC supports your abilities as a singer in an ensemble, and provides opportunity for developing your sight reading, aural skills, solo performance, and conducting skills.

Hertfordshire County Youth Training Choir is for young singers in years 5 – 8, to get a chance to sing exciting repertoire and also to sing alongside the County Youth Choir in concerts and performance opportunities throughout the year.

Rehearsals take place at Mid Herts Centre for Music and Arts in Hatfield on Wednesday evenings during term time:

  • 17.15 – 18.00 Hertfordshire County Youth Training Choir
  • 18.15 – 20.00 Hertfordshire County Youth Choir

Both choirs are run by conductor, singer, and educator James Slimings.

How to apply!

The Hertfordshire County Youth Choir and Training Choir accept applications throughout the year, and auditions are not required. 

Forthcoming Events

Autumn term 2024

Weekly rehearsals begin on Wednesday 18 September 2024.

Sunday 13 October 2024 – Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival – Young Musicians Platform

Concert at 3pm. Tickets can be purchased here: 2024 Programme - Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival (hatfieldhousemusicfestival.org.uk)

Saturday 14 December 2024 – end of Autumn term concert at Etheldreda’s Church, Hatfield. With Hertfordshire County Youth Brass Band

Recent Events

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 JuneInformal 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.

County Youth Music team contact information

Email: countyyouthmusic@hertfordshire.gov.uk