Youth Support - What a way to spend a week of your summer!
Earlier this year, Rachel Zegler encouraged us all to have a ‘Choir Girl Summer’, and Sing Ireland gave me and so many other young musicians the opportunity to live up to that challenge. I’ve been so privileged to spend so much of my summer making music with some of my best friends. There have been many highlights, like workshop performances with Eric Whitacre, to the Limerick residential courses such as the Irish Youth Choir summer course, and International Summer Conducting School. I’ve enjoyed all the singing I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with this summer, and by far the most rewarding of my three weeks spent in the University of Limerick has been the time I spent as a member of the Youth Support team for the Irish Youth Choir (14 to 17 year old) residential course.
Each year, the best and brightest young voices between the ages of 14 and 17 gather for a week to make incredible music with some of Ireland’s leading choral musicians, together forming the Irish Youth Choir. In addition to the incredible artistic team put together by Sing Ireland and the course's creative director, Lynsey Callaghan, there is also a team of Youth Support staff. The Youth Support team is a group of young musicians themselves, as they are singers with the Irish Youth Choir 18 to 25 year old division, whose role involves promoting the positive and uplifting atmosphere of the course and providing care and support both musically and personally to the singers in the choir. I’ve been lucky enough to get to take on this incredibly fulfilling role over the past two years, and I’d love to share my experience with you.
The main appeal of the role in my opinion is simply put, how much fun it is! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder and more often than the time I’ve spent with the team members, some of whom I’ve become very good friends with since getting to work with them, and the singers themselves. For many who take on the role, it serves as a full circle moment, as they had often sung in the choir themselves. On the other hand, I had never been a member of what was formerly known as the training choir, as I joined the Irish Youth Choir when I was already 18. Due to this, I had never gotten to experience the uniquely positive, light-hearted and enjoyable nature of the younger choir’s course before stepping into the support role, and I’m so glad I got to. From planning events like the course quiz and other social events for the singers, to practicing for the Youth Support performance at the open mic night, to just getting to chat to the singers and staff alike, there was never a dull moment to be found.
The role is also very beneficial to any young musicians looking to build a career in choral music, as it affords you the opportunity to work alongside some of the country's very best choral leaders. The choir's new creative director as of this year, Lynsey Callaghan is a clear example, as well as the all star line-up of section leaders she chose. I was lucky enough to get to sit in on both the tenor and bass sectionals, observing the fantastic work of Ross Scanlon and Douglas Carnes, who delivered very different, yet incredibly effective and precise rehearsals, which were so valuable to participate in both as a singer in the choir and as an aspiring professional. There were also spotlight sessions with each of the artistic staff, such as Sinead Crowley’s highly informative musicianship workshop, which allowed us to see each of the highly talented tutors working in the area they specialize in. A highlight for the singers and staff alike were the masterclasses delivered by Ross Scanlon and Soprano Tutor Felicity Hamilton where each tutor worked with a group of lower and upper voices respectively, guiding these fantastic young choristers through a compact but massively impactful lesson which showed off their mastery of technique and artistry.
However, all of this is secondary to the most rewarding aspect of the role: the singers themselves. Getting to be involved even in the smallest way with the journey and development of this group of fantastically talented young musicians is truly such a special experience. This year, as well as acting as support staff, Lynsey encouraged us to involve ourselves musically by being a part of the final concert. This was such a fun and uplifting aspect of the course, and a powerful musical experience too. I’ll never forget the feeling of getting to be a part of such a well put together and beautifully sung evening of music, led by the young singers my friends and I had been supporting that week.
For the reasons above, I’m a firm believer that there’s no better cause to give a week of your summer too than taking on the role of Youth Support for the Irish Youth Choir. It’s fun, challenging, engaging and rewarding, and will provide you with experiences and friendships you’ll take with you for life. I’m so thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of the team, and I encourage anyone with an interest to apply in the future.