NYCOS

24/05/2026

We are pleased to be featured in The Herald Scotland ahead of our 30th Anniversary Gala alongside the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh on 13 September, following our Anniversary Tour with concerts in Paisley, Aberdeen and Perth.

We will return to the piece performed at our very first concert, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, together with our 30th anniversary commission, The World, by Jay Capperauld, and The Passing of the Year by Jonathan Dove.

Read more 👇

The National Youth Choir of Scotland will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a major gala concert at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall this September.

22/05/2026

4 days to go!

Our summer concerts kick off on 26 May — don’t miss it. Regional Choirs across Scotland will take to the stage.

🎟️ Book now: https://www.nycos.co.uk/events

Music: The Circus by Stephen Deazley
Performed by NYCOS National Girls Choir, conducted by Christopher Bell

16/05/2026

Countdown to summer concerts is officially on ☀️

Our Regional Choirs are busy in rehearsals, bringing together everything they’ve been working on this term. Here’s a glimpse behind the scenes from one of our newest choirs in East Lothian.

All 14 regional choirs will take to the stage between 26 May and 9 June.

Tickets may be limited on the day — book now via our website: https://www.nycos.co.uk/events

Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic \\ Photography & Design

14/05/2026

Yesterday our Chamber Choir had the honour of performing at the Kirking of the Parliament in St Giles' Cathedral 🎶🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Marking the opening of the Scottish Parliament, bringing together music in one of Edinburgh’s most historic settings.

We performed music by Chris Hutchings, James MacMillan, Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, Fraser David Macdonald, in the presence of civic leaders, Members of the Scottish Parliament and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

A real privilege to be part of such a special occasion.

Photo credit: The Scottish Parliament

03/05/2026

Oban Boys’ Singing Project – Next Session Saturday 9 May

The Oban Boys’ Singing Project is back next Saturday, 9 May, and it’s free to join.

If you know a boy aged 10–17 who enjoys singing (or would like to give it a try), this is a fun, supportive space to sing together, learn new music and build confidence — no previous experience needed.

📍 St Columba’s Cathedral Hall, Oban
🕚 11am–4pm
💷 Free to attend

Session dates:
🗓️ 9 May • 13 June • 19 September
👉 Come along to any session — no need to attend them all.

🔗 Book a place:
https://www.nycos.co.uk/.../national-boys-choir-oban-2026/

Please share to help spread the word!

28/04/2026

Alumni Spotlight: Ruth

Ruth found her love for singing at a young age, then took her music‑making to the next level when she joined NYCOS in 2005. She went on to spend years moving homes around Europe and has now built a life working as a teacher in Madrid. She sings with one of Spain’s leading amateur vocal ensembles Coro Nox.

Though this lifestyle was sometimes challenging, finding a choir to join always helped her to feel a sense of belonging in unfamiliar places. Those experiences, along with the challenge and support she valued from NYCOS, helped to build a resilience that she now shares with her students.

‘The kids at my school have a very strict choir conductor; she’s wonderful, but she’s very strict. The kids say things like “do we have to go to choir again today?” or “we’ve got the concert coming up and I’m not sure”. The best advice I can give them is that it’s honestly worth it.’

Delve into Ruth’s spotlight at nycos.co.uk.

24/04/2026

Delighted to be part of Scottish Ensemble’s Barbican residency, with singers from our NYCOS Chamber Choir performing in Bach & Blood in October 2026.

Tickets on-sale now!
https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/scottish-ensemble-bach-blood

🏛️ We are thrilled to announce Scottish Ensemble’s residency at the Barbican Centre as part of its newly-announced classical season for 2026–27. As Company in Residence, we will bring three exciting artist-led collaborations to London over the coming year, placing our trademark collaboration and musical innovation centre-stage.

🩸Bach & Blood — 2 Oct 2026
Bach’s towering Chaconne is performed by our Artistic Director Jonathan Morton, while Arvo Pärt’s Greater Antiphonsunfold in shimmering stillness. The performance culminates in the London premiere of David Fennessy’s Blood, a violin concerto of profound and visceral power, uniting the Ensemble’s powerful strings and singers from the Chamber Choir of the National Youth Choir of Scotland.

🌕 Scottish Ensemble & Brìghde Chaimbeul — 19 Feb 2027
Fusing resonant strings and the earthy drones of the Scottish smallpipes, the performance sees the folklore and history of Skye come to the fore, aided by atmospheric visuals captured by Brìghde’s long-term collaborator Jonny Ashworth. A native Gaelic speaker and master of the Scottish smallpipes, Brìghde has taken Celtic experimentalism to the global stage.

🎤 Scottish Ensemble & Caroline Shaw — 15 June 2027
A rare collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and vocalist Caroline Shaw, placing her voice at the heart of the Ensemble, singing her own music including songs inspired by Scottish texts. Shaw’s distinctive sound world is also set alongside works by Bach, John Adams and Philip Glass, with a programme that spans baroque and minimalism, dissolving boundaries between the past and the present.

More info: https://scottishensemble.co.uk/news/barbican-residency-2026-27/
Tickets on-sale from 24 April

Photo:
Caroline Shaw © Kait Moreno
Brìghde Chaimbeul © Camille Lemoine
David Fennessy
Scottish Ensemble/Jonathan Morton © Tom Lovatt

22/04/2026

Last week, 92 choir members took part in the National Girls Choir residential course, built around music, focus, and time together.

Here’s a glimpse from rehearsals to the concert.

17/04/2026

Join us tomorrow!

Our 92 singers are just one day away from finishing their residential and are preparing for the concert with the support of our brilliant staff.

🎵 NYCOS National Girls Choir Spring Concert
Saturday 18 April, 3pm
The Parish Church of St Cuthbert, Edinburgh

👉 Book tickets at nycos.co.uk/events/national-girls-choir-spring-concert/

Photo by Sally Jubb Photography

02/04/2026

Join us this May and June as our 14 Regional Choirs share the programme they’ve been working on throughout the term. Tickets for our Summer Concerts are now on sale via our website:
👉 https://www.nycos.co.uk/events

30/03/2026

We are proud that Joshua McCullough, who joined our Edinburgh Choir aged 8 and progressed through the National Boys Choir and NYCOS, is now going to the National Opera Studio.

We are excited to introduce the 2026/27 cohort of Young Artists joining the National Opera Studio. These exceptional artists will undergo nine months of intensive training to prepare them for successful careers in today’s opera world.

Our Young Artists receive top-level coaching in music, vocals, and languages, along with training in stagecraft, physical disciplines, and resilience. They will also gain performance experience through masterclasses, livestreamed recitals, concerts in London, and orchestral residencies with our esteemed partner companies.

Training is fully funded, with a monthly performance stipend, additional bursary support, and extra funds for singing lessons and auditions.

Find out more about each artist:
https://www.nationaloperastudio.org.uk/news/announcing-our-2026-27-young-artists/