Welcome
Milton Keynes Youth Choir, under the guidance of David Kirby-Ashmore, has become Milton Keynes premier young Vocal ensemble gaining first place in their section of the Milton Keynes Festival for the last four years – currently competing at Choirs under 6th form level.
The choir has recorded four CD's, one of Christmas Music, the second including songs from the film 'Les Choristes' of which they gave the UK premiere, the third on their 10th Anniversary in 2007 and finally last year Vivaldi’s Gloria and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater .
The choir now in its 12th year was founded with a grant from the National Lottery; the choir originally shared its Musical Director [John Gibbons] with the Milton Keynes Chorale and to this day with whom we maintain close ties.
Since becoming Musical Director in 2001, David Kirby-Ashmore has challenged the members with a wide-ranging repertoire that has included Britten's Ceremony of Carols, Chappell's The Daniel Jazz, a concert of Opera Choruses, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater as well as songs by The Beatles, Glenn Miller and Abba plus Folk Songs, Sacred music and songs from around the world, amongst these pieces they have sung in Latin, French, German and of course English.
Qualitatively, the choir continues to make great progress and successfully continues to tackle quite demanding music. The over riding consideration in terms of repertoire is that the vocal range and style is appropriate to the safe development of young voices. We sing regularly in two and three parts and sometimes in four. The choir is open to young singers from age 8 to late teens. Entry is by a friendly audition in order to establish the ability to sing comfortably in tune and then to determine which vocal part is most appropriate. Regular re-appraisal means that singers move section as their voices develop.
