NCS joined forces with Newcastle Youth Choir Project 18.6.22


Newcastle Sings is a youth choir project for secondary-school aged young people at the heart of the activity programme. Running initially on a pilot basis, the choir came together for the first time in April 2022 and then participated in workshops and weekly rehearsals which led to this showcase event at Kings Hall at Newcastle University.

The concert featured the premiere of a new work by Joanna Ward (directed by Thomas Edney) and a performance of The Dream of the River by Will Todd.
This was originally commissioned by Newcastle Choral Society for their Jubilee Concert in Sage Gateshead in 2014.
Newcastle Choral Society with their Musical Director Mark Anyan were delighted to collaborate with NYCP, part of Newcastle Sings, in their Showcase Concert.

Mark Anyan in his role as General Manager of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
provided support in the setting up of this youth choir project.

‘The Newcastle Youth Choir Project (NYCP) is designed to be open-access and inclusive, with the central aim of offering high quality opportunities to young singers across the city and beyond. With Covid-recovery in mind, our aim is to get young people back to singing and making music together and to give them the opportunity to work with exciting and vibrant choral practitioners.‘

Members of the youth choir will be invited to work with Music Partnership North to shape the future direction of choral and vocal activities for children and young people in Newcastle.

Newcastle Sings has been created by Music Partnership North, Newcastle
in collaboration with Newcastle University Music Department.
Supported with Arts Council Funding

Learn More
A Sea Symphony and Codebreaker Success

A Sea Symphony and Codebreaker Success

Newcastle Choral Society, Conductor Mark Anyan, and Hertfordshire Chorus, with their Conductor David Temple, joined forces for an epic performance at Sage Gateshead on Sunday 1st May 2022 at 3pm. Postponed twice due to the pandemic, this was 3rd time lucky! The concert featured Vaughan Williams ‘A Sea Symphony’ conducted by David Temple, which we were delighted to perform in the year celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the composers birth. The concert also featured the northern premiere of the critically acclaimed ‘Codebreaker’ written by James McCarthy and commissioned by Hertfordshire Chorus and conducted by Mark Anyan. This charts the life of Alan Turing famous for breaking the German Enigma code during WW2

Soloists were

Ruth Jenkins-Róbertsson soprano
Dominic Sedgwick baritone
Orchestra North East

James McCarthy takes a bow as composer of Codebreaker
alongside Mark Anyan and Soprano Ruth Jenkins-Róbertsson with Orchestra North East
Hertfordshire Chorus and Newcastle Choral Society
Photography Steve Brock

Learn More