In the UK, there are currently more than 25,000 choirs; Gareth Malone’s hit television show The Choir, and the American programme Glee have certainly made choirs more cool for young and old alike. But are there more reasons for Britain’s love of ensemble singing than simply following the fashion?
Singing is proven to release happy endorphins in the brain, and in 2008, a study showed that members of the public who sang in a choir rated their overall happiness in life much higher than those who didn’t, even if some of the problems they faced seemed more serious. In addition, getting together to sing once a week for a couple of hours is a great way to make new friends. Among young people in particular, singing in a choir with people their own way is an effective method of stress relief from school work and exams.
The Surrey Youth Choir was founded in 1987, and is now one of the most established youth choirs in the country. With around 25 members, the choir is a full SATB choir (soprano, alto, tenor, bass). They perform regularly, singing everything from Mozart to Fats Weller, as well as taking commissions for certain performances. The choir has performed in many prolific locations, including St Albans Abbey and the Royal Albert Hall, but arguably their most exciting recent engagement was the tour of Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest that took place over the summer. “It was amazing to visit countries I’d never been to before, especially with some great friends,” says Imogen Nelson, an alto within the choir, “but the best part was getting to sing in some stunning cathedrals and churches across Europe.”
Conductor Rufus Frowde is a former Organ Scholar of Merton College, Oxford, and currently works as Organist for the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace, as well as teaching music and conducting the Surrey Youth Choir. He believes that the choir is vital to give the most talented singers in the county opportunities they may not otherwise have. “We look at an extensive repertoire, probably greater in both volume and complexity than most school choirs would offer, at a price that still allows it to be accessible”, he says, “and I think accessibility is the key thing. I love being able to give gifted singers from all backgrounds the chance to sing this level of music.”
The Surrey Youth Choir meet every Wednesday evening, from 6.45 – 9.15, at Westfield Primary School in Woking, although from January 2016, meetings will take place in The Marist School, West Byfleet.
Francesca Duke, Sir William Perkins’s School
