About NYCNI
NYCNI, previously know as Ulster Youth Choir was established in 1999 by Christopher Bell and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Since then the organisation has expanded its activity establishing the Training Choir as well as providing choral workshops province wide and offering training opportunities for schools, teachers and extended vocal training for existing members. NYCNI has performed across Northern Ireland and beyond and has participated in the BBC Proms and Belfast Festival at Queens. The choir has also produced two commercial CDs and recorded for the BBC.
In December 2012 choir members travelled to London to join the Gabrieli Young Singers Scheme for a recording of Britten’s War Requiem alongside the Gabrieli Consort & Players conducted by Paul McCreesh. The recording won the BBC Music Magazine Award 2014 and in 2013 the organisation joined the Irish Youth Choir for a combined concert in Christchurch Cathedral Dublin.
In 2014 & 2015 choir members formed part of BBC Proms Youth Choir performing Britten’s War Requiem with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in 2014 . NYCNI returned to the BBC Proms in 2015 this time alongside the Vienna Philharmonic with concerts in Birmingham, The Royal Albert Hall and the Lucerne Festival Switzerland under the baton on Sir Simon Rattle.
Since 2015 NYCNI has worked in partnership with BBC Radio Ulster producing the School Choir of the Year Competition a in series of programmes for both primary and post primary schools broadcast from across the province.
In 2017 the Junior Choir was formed for singers aged 11-14.
More recently in 2019 NYCNI celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a concert in the Ulster Hall and tour to Provence France.
In 2023, we welcomed The National Boys Choir to our family. The Boys performed their inaugural concert at Campbell College, Belfast April 2023.
About our Choirs
NYCNI Senior Choir is our Flagship, mixed voice choir and is for students aged 17-24. Senior Choir meets for a 6 day intensive residential course at Campbell College in July, which includes world class vocal training as well as two singing lessons with highly respected singing teachers. The course culminates with a concert, which in the past have been delivered concerts in beautiful venues such as St George’s Church, Belfast and Fisherwick Presbyterian Church, Belfast as well as one of Northern Ireland’s most prestigious venues, the Ulster Hall.
NYCNI Training Choir is a mixed voice choir for students aged 14-17 and like Senior Choir meets for a 6 day intensive residential course at Campbell College in July. The students involved in Training Choir receive world class vocal training as well as two singing lessons with highly respected singing teachers. The course culminates with a concert in the Central Hall of Campbell College.
NYCNI Junior Choir is a mixed voice choir for students aged 11-14 and is non-residential, with the students travelling to Campbell College each day for a week in July to learn from world class vocal tutors, and work on repertoire for their concert in the College’s Central Hall on the last day.
NYCNI Girls’ Choir is for female voices aged 14-15 and is non-residential over 5 days at Easter each year. The course is held at Campbell College and culminates in a joint concert with Boys’ Choir in the Central Hall of the college on the last day.
NYCNI Boys’ Choir was formed in 2022 and expands our operation to reach boys aged 8-12. Our Boys’ Choir meets for a 4 day non-residential course during Easter each year at Campbell College. The boys get to close their course with a joint concert with our Girls’ Choir in the Central Hall of the College on the last day.
