In 1998 the then British Federation of Young Choirs made an approach to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to establish the Northern Ireland equivalent National Youth Choir: Since 1996 there had been a National Youth Choir of Scotland, a National Youth Choir of Great Britain since the 1970’s and National Youth Choirs in both Wales and Ireland.

With a three-year funding plan in place through Arts Council of Northern Ireland, National Lottery Fund, and the vision to bring the choral provision for youth to the same status as their instrumental counterparts, the Ulster Youth Orchestra, the Ulster Youth Choir was established with a view to running an annual summer residential course and concert tour for Northern Ireland’s best young singers.

Since its humble beginnings under its founding Artistic Director and Conductor, Christopher Bell, UYC established an annual summer course and subsequent concerts throughout Northern Ireland and further afield.

To date, UYC has performed within Northern Ireland in Belfast, Londonderry, Armagh, Newry Coleraine, Bangor, Lisburn, Craigavon and Omagh as well as beyond Ulster in Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Paris.

Repertoire has focussed heavily on contemporary choral music from around the world, with UYC performing music by John Tavener (UK), Paul Crabtree (UK), James MacMillan (Scotland), Jonathan Dove (UK), Ian Wilson (Northern Ireland), Conor O’Reilly (Ireland), Colin Mawby (UK), Bob Chilcott (UK), Paul Patterson (UK), Juri-Ruut Kangur (Estonia), Orlando Gough (UK), John Rutter (UK), Francis Grier UK), Tarik O’Regan (UK), Eric Whitacre (USA), Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen (Denmark), Gyorgy Orban (Hungary).

In addition, UYC has mastered some of the better known choral repertoire such as Fauré Requiem, Haydn Te Deum, Poulenc Gloria & Litanies à la vierge noir, Mendelssohn Four Sacred Part-songs, Handel Zadok the priest and Vaughan-Williams Benedicite.

If you would like further information on any of the above activities, please get in touch with the UYC office.