2010 XXI Concorso Internazionale di Canto Corale, Verona (Italy): Ottimo Oro (overall winner) and Premio Speciale (best conductor and best choice of programme)
2009 Montreux Choral Festival (Switzerland): Runner-up (Excellent with distinction)
2008 National Festival of Music for Youth, Birmingham: Highly commended
2007 BBC Radio 4: Water of Tyne is JP Donleavy’s first choice on Desert Island Discs
2006 World Choir Games, Xiamen (China): 2 gold diplomas and 2 silver medals
2005 Montreux Choral Festival (Switzerland): 1st prize (Audience)
2005 BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year: Finalist
2004 52nd European Youth Choral Festival, Neerpelt (Belgium): 1st prize cum laude
2002 Sainsbury's Youth Choir of the Year: Finalist
1999 Jersey International Festival: 1st prize (Youth Choirs Section) and Overall Winner
1998 Sainsbury's Youth Choir of the Year: 1st prize
1998 International Choir Competition, Riva del Garda (Italy): Gold award and 1st prize (Children's Section)
1997 MBE awarded to David Victor-Smith for services to Farnham Youth Choir
1997 National Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London: Outstanding performance award
1994 Smetana International Festival, Litomyšl (Czech Republic): Gold award and 1st prize (Children's Section) and Folk Song award
1993 Tolosa International Choral Festival (Spain)
1992 Sainsbury's Youth Choir of the Year: 1st prize
1992 National Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London: Outstanding performance award
1991 National Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London: Outstanding performance award
1989 National Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London: Outstanding performance award
1987 National Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London: Highly commended award
FYC on tour
2010 Italy (Verona)
2009 Switzerland (Montreux)
2008 Belgium (Ghent, Antwerp) and Germany (Andernach, Mayen)
2006 China (Xiamen, Beijing)
2005 Switzerland (Montreux)
2004 Belgium (Neerpelt)
2003 Australia (Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Yea) and Singapore
2002 Germany (Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden)
2000 Germany (Arolsen)
1999 Jersey
1998 France (Strasbourg) and Italy (Riva del Garda)
1997 Belgium (Namur)
1997 UK (Llangollen and Chester)
1996 Germany (Andernach and Arolsen)
1995 UK (Derby and Nottingham)
1994 Czech Republic (Prague and Litomyšl)
1993 Spain (Tolosa)
1993 UK (Harrogate, Perth and Newcastle)
1992 Germany (Arolsen)
1989 France (Paris)
1988 Germany (Arolsen)
At major venues
2009 Cadogan Hall, London: John Rutter's Mass of the Children with the Choir and Orchestra of London
2007 Royal Albert Hall, London: John Rutter's Christmas concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Choir of London
2007 Imperial War Museum, London: Premiere of Stolen Voices by Tarik O'Regan, a special commission for World Peace Day
2007 Royal Festival Hall, London: Reopening ceremony
2006 St. Paul's Cathedral, London: John Rutter's Mass of the Children with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2006 Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing (China): Gala concert
2005 Royal Albert Hall, London: John Rutter's Christmas concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2003 Guildford Cathedral, UK premiere of John Rutter's Mass of the Children
2003 Royal Festival Hall, London: John Rutter's Christmas concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Choral Society
2001 Royal Festival Hall, London: John Rutter's Christmas concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Choral Society
1998 Royal Albert Hall, London: Festival of Remembrance
1998 Mansion House, City of London
2001 Other UK performances have taken place at Symphony Hall, Birmingham; Buxton Opera House; St. John's Smith Square, London; King's College, Cambridge; St. George's Chapel, Windsor; St. James's Palace, London; Eton College Chapel; The Anvil, Basingstoke; and Winchester Cathedral.
On television
1999 BBC: Songs of Praise from The Bishop’s Palace, Wells Cathedral
1998 BBC: The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance from the Royal Albert Hall, in the presence of the Queen
1998 BBC: Blue Peter
1992 BBC: Blue Peter
2001 FYC has also been featured on the BBC during Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year competitions in 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2004.
On CD and DVD
2009 25th Birthday Concert, the choir’s anniversary event at The Anvil, Basingstoke, live on CD and highlights on DVD – available now
2009 Celebration!, a double album of selected songs recorded over 25 years, with a Live Bonus CD of major commissions in world premieres – available now
2008 John Rutter's Christmas Festival, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cambridge Singers – available now
2008 Yo Le Canto covers the previous three years of FYC repertoire, with a wide variety of sacred and secular items – available now
2005 John Rutter's Mass of the Children, with the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
2005 Laudate covers the previous two years' repertoire, with a wide variety of sacred and secular items
2001 A Dream of Snow, includes this song cycle by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and items from the choir's repertoire at that time
1999 Carnival!, premiered by FYC, takes its name from a modern adaptation of Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals by Gwyn Arch and Jeremy Browne; it also includes the winning songs from Sainsbury's Choir of the Year 1998 and items performed at that year's Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall
1997 Sing You Now includes Four Elizabethan Lyrics, commissioned from Ronald Corp, plus items from the choir's repertoire at that time.
1996 Hodie is a collection of Christmas items ranging from carols by Britten and Rutter to traditional and much–loved favourites
1993 Water of Tyne, the choir's first CD, recorded in 1993 and including most of the songs performed at the Sainsbury's Choir of the Year competition in 1992
Commissions and premieres
2009 Gwyn Arch arrangements of Over the Rainbow by Harold Arlen and Where or when by Richard Rodgers – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on 25th Birthday Concert CD
2009 Gray’s Pier by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queen’s Music – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Celebration!
2009 Silver by Graham Ross – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Celebration!
2007 It sounded as if the Streets were running by Jonathan Dove – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Yo Le Canto
2007 Stolen Voices by Tarik O'Regan – premiered at the Imperial War Museum (not available on CD)
2003 Four Bashō Settings by Augusta Read Thomas – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Celebration!
2003 Gwyn Arch arrangements of the standard classics Sweet Georgia Brown, Anything Goes and Blue Moon – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Laudate
2001 A Dream of Snow by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on A Dream of Snow
2000 Douglas Coombes arrangements of two English folk songs, O Rare Turpin Hero and Sweet Polly Oliver – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on A Dream of Snow
1999 Peter Gritton arrangement of the standard classic Fever – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on A Dream of Snow
1999 Gwyn Arch arrangement of the English folk song Beautiful Nancy – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on A Dream of Snow
1999 Gwyn Arch arrangement of Saint-Saëns's The Carnival of the Animals – premiered and recorded on Carnival!
1997 Four Elizabethan Lyrics by Ronald Corp – commissioned, premiered, and recorded on Sing You Now
1991 Epigraminals by Grayston Ives – commissioned by the Farnham Festival and premiered by FYC (not available on CD)
Special relations
John Rutter Composer and Conductor
Invitation to perform Christmas concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, involving a subsequent commercial recording released by Collegium.
Invitation to give the UK Premiere at Guildford Cathedral of his world-acclaimed Mass of the Children, followed by further performances (St. Paul's Cathedral; King’s College Chapel, Cambridge) and a recording released by Naxos.
Mike Brewer Musical Director of The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
Annual FYC workshops with David Victor-Smith to help develop the musicianship of new and current FYC members. David Victor-Smith is also guest conductor of the NYC Boys’ Choir.
Sing Up
The Music Manifesto's National Singing Programme. FYC has recorded several collections of music for this government-sponsored initiative, accessible on–line at http://www.singup.org/songbank/index.php
Community support and former choir parents
Through its work with and for young people FYC has generated an astonishing level of long-term parental and community support. The success of choirs like ours stands or falls with the commitment of volunteers.
In Andreas Klatt and the late Chris Mansell we have also been fortunate to have had visionary supporters with a lively interest in the artistic development of the choir, resulting in ground-breaking commissions from leading composers of our time.
Achievements