Youth Singing

Falling out from Sing Ireland strategic vision and mission and in line with our Strategic Plan 2024-2029, SI’s youth work is built around a simple but powerful idea: that singing can be part of life from the very beginning, and that it should grow and evolve alongside young people as they do. The journey begins in our programmes with Star Songs, a new initiative that brings group singing into early years settings. Developed specifically for pre-school-aged children, Star Songs uses music, movement, and storytelling to spark imagination and introduce little ones to the joy of using their voices together. It’s about play, connection, and laying the foundations for a positive relationship with music from the very start.

From there,  YouthSing picks up the thread, working with primary-aged children in both school and community settings. A central element of this is the SingSpace model - creative, welcoming workshops where children come together to sing, learn, and take part in new music written especially for them. These sessions, often held in cultural venues and supported by professional musicians, give children a chance to explore their voices in ways that are enjoyable, confidence-building, and culturally rooted. For older teenagers and young adults, the Irish Youth Choirs offer more advanced training and performance opportunities. Through summer residential courses and public concerts, singers work with expert directors and vocal coaches to develop their skills and experience the joy of performing as part of a national ensemble. 

Together, these programmes form a clear and nurturing pathway, from early musical exploration through to high-level youth performance, grounded in access, creativity, and the belief that every young person has a voice worth hearing. This is a long term journey that needs continued strategic planning and commitment from Sing Ireland. Some of the areas are far more developed than others and we are working to build each programme during the lifetime of a young person from preschool, to early adulthood. It is not a quick fix but if we are committed to changing the face of music education and young people’s experiences in Singing in Ireland in a progressive way in the years ahead.