I am lucky enough to have been attending the National Boys Choir residential course every April since 2016. I’ve also been a member of NYCOS Aberdeen Choir for almost 8 years. In all that time NYCOS have never failed to impress me with how talented and hardworking everyone involved is. The week in Loretto School for NYCOS National Boys Choir always runs very smoothly and is an invaluable experience for young singers from around the country. It is one of the musical highlights of the year for everyone involved.
What makes the National Boys Choir so special is that, where most of us live, it is unusual for boys to sing, but when we all come together in Mussleburgh at this time every year, suddenly every boy around you sings! This means everyone feels comfortable, confident and understood and we all have something in common to enjoy. The atmosphere on campus is incredible; no one wants to stop singing. It’s also so interesting to meet boys from completely different backgrounds and from all around the country.
It is so impressive how much can be learnt in five days – that really shocked me the first year I attended. The week flies by so quickly and before you know it, each choir has memorised and perfected an entire concert. This is thanks to all the fantastic training and hard work that everyone puts in.
One of my favourite parts of the week has to be the open rehearsal in Loretto’s chapel on the Friday night. The buzz around the chapel is tremendous. This is the first time anyone hears what we’ve been working so hard on, so the boys are very excited for their families to hear them, and their families are just as excited to see what their children have been working on since they’ve been gone!
This year, our concert was held in Edinburgh’s Central Hall. I’m pleased to say the concert was a great success and judging from the final applause, the audience seemed to enjoy it!
I thoroughly enjoyed my week at National Boys Choir this year and look forward to any additional engagement that may take place throughout the year. I hope to continue my experiences with NYCOS into the future and carry on enjoying singing with all the talented boys at NYCOS National Boys Choir.
Rory McIver
