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Great Scott! The National Youth Choir of Scotland's rise to fame

Now one of the world’s great youth choirs, the National Youth Choir of Scotland came from humble beginnings. David Kettle investigates.
NYCOS on Calton Hill, May 2023
NYCOS on Calton Hill, May 2023 - Ian Georgeson

At the time I was looking at it, there were only three Scots in the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. And it struck me that there must be more young people in Scotland who can sing. So, we set up our own choir here.’

That’s Christopher Bell looking back to the mid-1990s and remembering the origins of the National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCOS), which he co-founded in 1996, and where he’s now artistic director. It’s come a long way since then. NYCOS is now recognised as one of the world’s great youth choirs. It’s given high-profile performances at the Edinburgh International Festival and the BBC Proms, even at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and it’s been specifically asked for by big-name conductors including Edward Gardner and Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Arguably just as important as its performing achievements, however, is what goes on behind the scenes – whether that’s teacher training, an abundance of singing resources, or an ever-increasing range of publications.

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