"Singing is good for the soul!"
That’s the view of Maggie Richardson, the Department of Education’s Head of Music Service, who is encouraging young people aged 13-22 to join the popular Manx Youth Choir.
Rehearsals are held once a month on Sunday afternoons from 2-5pm at the Music Centre, Lord Street, Douglas.
Auditions are not necessary and membership is free. All music is provided. This term’s Sunday rehearsals are on 31st January, 28th February and 28th March.
There is also a non-residential weekend course between 16th-18th April, culminating in an afternoon concert on the last day.
The choir is trained and conducted by Maggie, who has extensive choral experience. The founder/musical director of the South Cheshire Youth Choir, she has conducted the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir and for seven years chaired the national choral charity Sing for Pleasure, with whom she is also a senior conducting tutor.
Maggie says of the Youth Choir, "We cover a wide range of music, from pop arrangements to folk songs from around the world, sacred music, gospel – a mixture of light hearted and serious. It doesn’t matter if singers have no choral experience.
"There’s a lot in the press, TV and medical journals at the moment about how singing is good for the health. This is nothing new: back in 1588, the eminent British composer William Byrd said 'The exercise of singing is delightful to nature and good to preserve the health of man'.
"At Manx Youth Choir rehearsals, we also have a lot of fun while working hard to produce a beautiful sound."
The choir will be undertaking a five-day tour of Berlin tour in July, performing at different venues in the city plus fitting in plenty of sightseeing. New members are invited to join the tour.
"The benefits of taking part in a concert tour are immense but the most important are the happy memories, which stay with the singers for a lifetime."
