Children's choir brings festive music to York Minster's Chapter House

Saturday 26 November 2016, from 10.45am

Visitors to the Chapter House at York Minster will enjoy a musical treat this weekend with an informal performance of seasonal music from York Junior Youth Choir.

The choir, which runs every Saturday morning in hall of the Minster School, features around 30 children aged between seven and sixteen, led by the Minster School’s head of music, Alison Forster.  Celebrating its 10thanniversary this year, the choir will perform a range of sacred and secular music for visitors in a 45-minute free performance in the Chapter House.

“For us, Christmas starts in July when we select the music for our autumn and winter sessions, but performing in front of an audience is always a fantastic experience for the children, so we hope that many people pop along to hear them sing,” comments Alison.  “The acoustics in the Chapter House are beautiful, adding an extra vibrancy to the beautiful singing.”

No tickets are required, standard York Minster admission fees apply, with free admission for local residents with a valid York Card.

York Junior Youth Choir was original launched as part of national Choral Outreach project and subsequently adopted by the government Sing Up scheme, but when the funding ended, York Minster stepped in to keep the popular choir running.  With no audition required for new members, and no membership fees, the choir provides an opportunity for children of all abilities and backgrounds to sing together as part of an ensemble.

Alison Forster has also been keen to keep the cathedral’s wider Choral Outreach programme running, working with three schools in and around York each term to stage a concert within the Nave of the Minster.  The next concert, taking place on Tuesday 29 November at 5pm, will feature pupils from Acomb Primary School, St Paul’s Church of England Primary School and Park Grove Primary School alongside the Minster School’s Junior Choir and choristers from York Minster – 400 children performing together!

For further details, please visit yorkminster.org

ENDS

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited

Tel:         01904 500698

Email:    jay@pyperyork.co.uk