Cornwall Youth Choirs: 'Govenek'

There is much said and written about the power of singing, and singing together. We know, for example, that alongside musical development, it can improve wellbeing, engender a sense of belonging, and bring together a community. In the case of young people, singing together in groups out of school can help young people ‘find themselves’ and ‘find their people’. As one of the singers of Cornwall Youth Choirs (CYC) stated: ‘It's my time to make friends because I am home schooled. You can be yourself and escape with common interests. When we sing “Hope Waits” – written during Covid – I become lost and zoned-out in performances. I had huge anxiety before but I feel amazing when we perform.’

Seaside county at the end of the country

You can't begin to talk about CYC without considering the challenges and history of this county. In addition to the spectacular coastline and deep-rooted Cornish heritage, there are seldom talked-about factors that shape its people. Cornwall has significant rural and geographical isolation, poor infrastructure and high unemployment, with much of the employment being seasonal. It also has some of the lowest wages and GDP figures in the UK.

Nationally, the inequalities of provision and access to music education have been laid bare in recent reports, including Ofsted's Striking the Right Note and research by the Child Poverty Action Group and the Education Policy Institute. Local manifestations of these complex challenges are central considerations for CYC in minimising the barriers for Cornwall's children and young people.

Despite the challenges, the Cornish have deep pride in their history and heritage, music and language. CYC has gained national attention for its wonderful singing, including singing in Cornish. But what really inspires the singers, and perhaps sets them apart from others, is their deep concern for the environment. This runs through the veins of all aspects of their musical lives.

Vocal strategy

CYC is a family of five graduated choirs across Cornwall. These provide opportunities to children as young as 4 and young people up to the age of 25, with different levels of experience, and offer a framework for musical progression. The reach, membership and professionalism of CYC have grown since the early days of the Cornwall Boys' Choir, formed in 2008 by the founder and current CYC artistic director, Angela Renshaw. Such is the belief in these young people, the CYC parents have created their own Charitable Incorporated Organisation, supported by Friends of CYC and a strong team of volunteers.

As anyone running choirs will know, the infrastructure for singing outside of school depends on strong ties within schools. This allows for children's interests to be piqued in the first place, but therein lies a challenge: while singing is described as a ‘golden thread’ in NPME2, the provision and quality of this in schools is known to be patchy.

A concerted effort to build capacity and interest in singing across Cornish schools is promoted through the music hub's Vocal Strategy. At the heart of this is a professional development offer for teachers, encouraging them to develop singing as a central feature of music provision in their schools. This brings schools and choirs together through a series of annual events: the SongFest and ChoirFest. In support of this work, a primary aim of CYC is to facilitate and grow choral skills and musical self-expression in ways that are inclusive of all young people living in Cornwall, from Bude to Sennen.

Environment and CYC values

The sea plays a huge part in the lives of the Cornish, who are surrounded by coastline. Little wonder, then, that local communities consider protecting their natural surroundings paramount. In CYC, singers recognise the part they must play in drawing attention to environmental protection, and a fundamental part of this is collaboration. Through CYC's Youth Forum, young people make key decisions alongside adult leaders when it comes to the creative process, leadership and repertoire. Repertoire choices can make or break choirs; there is always a balance between singing repertoire that is familiar to young people and maintaining their motivation and interest when introducing new influences. At CYC, repertoire is carefully chosen to align with its values and draw attention to issues that are important to Cornwall's young people. Recent examples include ‘Pader an Arleth’, by Cornish composer Russell Pascoe, and ‘Her Song’, by Matt Douglas (CYC's assistant director), which speaks of Mother Earth calling on the human race to face environmental issues and our own fragility; this was premiered at the Eden Project in December 2023.

CYC practises what it preaches – and looks the part when performing. The approach to sustainability and upcycling means that costumes are made from clothing from charity shops or online vintage stores. Singers are committed to wearing recycled materials, and not just fabric: they've

At other times, CYC works to raise money and awareness of the cause. On many weekends you will meet members of CYC and their families organising beach cleans and other practical ways to raise funds, while highlighting local and environmental matters.

International recognition

In 2021 CYC's inspired performance at the Youth Proms in the Royal Albert Hall drew attention from far and wide. Coldplay's Chris Martin contacted CYC through a special video message, and in May 2023 senior singers of CYC appeared at the Interkultur International Competition for the first time. The choir was awarded two gold diplomas for its singing; but the most treasured accolade was a special prize for raising environmental awareness ‘through choral art’.

#IWillFixYou has become CYC's environmental campaign, ignited by a beautiful arrangement of Coldplay's hit ‘Fix You’, by Jonathan Wikeley. CYC's success at the Interkultur competition came to the attention of Sir David Attenborough, who took the time to contact the choir and congratulate them on their musical success and environmental campaigning.

Long-term vision

CYC is committed to raising the aspirations of its members, whether through high-quality music-making, vocal tuition, mentoring, or the youth leadership and alumni programme. The positive impact of the youth leadership and alumni programmes is not only felt by current members but also those returning to or working with CYC in different capacities; for example, mentoring a vocal section, leading the Youth Forum, or conducting. The last of these has brought opportunities (even jobs) for older singers. According to Alex, ‘Being a CYC Young Leader has had a huge impact on my singing and my lifestyle. It has given me an enormous sense of confidence and self-esteem. I enjoy being able to share and develop my personal passion with others of a similar age, knowing that I could be making a difference to how they might perceive music and personal goals.’

Singers come from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds and include those educated out of school, as well as from state or independent schools. Accessibility is important to CYC's ethos, and includes addressing ‘rurality’ by moving rehearsals and performances around the county and organising lift-shares, and working with parents and carers to integrate those with special educational or learning needs and disabilities.

Hope through singing

The post-Covid world has presented even more hurdles than before, with the cost-of-living crisis, rocketing fuel prices, job insecurity and a general sense of discord around the world. But the need remains for young people to be together, forging friendships and growing mutual interests. The singers want to do well, progress and celebrate each other's achievements, while recognising that they learn from one another. They cement their own uniqueness, nurturing their identities through collective music-making. It's an inspiring story and a musical culture that places the ambitions and progression of young people at its centre, ensuring their ideas are brought to life and valued.

The title of this article, ‘Govenek’, means ‘hope’ in Cornish, which is incorporated into the CYC uniform in the form of a recycled wooden pin badge. We leave you with the words of 17-year-old Maddie, a CYC member and Young Leader: ‘Ever since we were little, we have all grown up surrounded by the natural beauty of Cornwall, with the ocean and wildlife on our doorstep. We are so passionate about representing environmental issues and promoting ways to help our environment recover, as we can see first-hand the impact. ‘Fix You’ has become our song, as it allows us to promote our concerns while also connecting emotionally through song – something we all love.’

cornwallyouthchoirs.co.uk