NewYVC, the Stratford Circus resident youth choir had the most wonderful weekend residency at Snape Maltings, singing with and getting to know Group A, the resident Brittenpears Arts youth vocal performance group. Supported by Jane Wheeler of Living Song and Naveen Arles, Musical Director of NewYVC, the young people shared warm-ups and repertoire and created their own group pieces under the facilitation of the wonderful music animateur, Aga Serugo Lugo. Both groups explored their own environments in relation to a walk around Snape Maltings, crafted text and inspired melodies, supported by percussionist Rosie Bergonzi and harpist Imogen Ridge.
The whole group performed outdoors on the last day of their stay, a half hour inspired sharing of the culmination of their work for a highly appreciative audience.
For NewYVC it was an opportunity like none most of them had experienced before. They talked a lot about ‘being in nature’, they walked on the beach, paddled and swam, enjoyed their own individual ‘en suite’ rooms, wonderful hospitality of the Snape Maltings team and the chance to meet and spend time with young people from a very different walk of life to their own in East London. For Living Song, it was an opportunity to celebrate the young people of NewYVC and to enjoy conversations about young leadership, skills, training and development of opportunities for young people.