The choir is for young people of all ages, and it is divided into a number of sections based on age, gender and experience. Most new members start in the Training Choir (minimum age 5 years) and progress through into the Main Choir once they are ready. There is no official upper age limit, although members tend to move on around the age of 18 or 19. All sections of the choir participate in the main end-of-term concerts, and we rely on parental support to facilitate all our activities. We are funded through a termly subscription of £30 for Main Choir members and £2 per Training Choir session, and we also receive some donations and grants from generous benefactors.
SECTIONS:
Training Choir: from 5 years
Main Choir: from about 8 years upwards
Senior Girls: girls from about 11 years upwards
Senior Boys:
boys from 11 years upwards Chamber Choir: composed of older, more experienced members, m singing very challenging music.
The Bournville Graduates: Originally formed in 2008 due to the demand of ex-members who wanted to re-live the glory days - hence the name! To begin with, The Graduates came together occasionally to sing old favourites from the BYS repertoire, usually to raise money for other charities. New Launch: Following the success of the Bournville Graduates as a scratch choir, it is being launched in September 2011 following ArtsFest as a new SATB chamber choir, exclusively for adults aged 20-40. Stephen Ellis, former Assistant Director of BYS, will be directing this group, which aims to produce high quality, varied music for performance at recitals and gigs. If you are interested in joining this choir, booking it for a performance, or simply want more information, please contact Stephen through BYS' email: info@bournvilleyoungsingers.org.uk
Musical Director: Anne Ellis Cert.Ed, AmusTCL, ALCM, LLCM (TD), ACert CM. Anne originally trained as a primary school teacher, but over the years has taught music to all ages from nursery to adult. She is passionate about singing, and the holistic benefits it can bring, and believes that every child could and should learn to sing. Having always sung in and directed young choirs, Anne founded the (then) Bournville Children's Choir in 1986 at a time when little or no singing was happening in many schools. Since then, the choir has grown and gone from strength to strength, prompting the change of name to the more appropriate Bournville Young Singers. The choir now includes members aged 5-18+, with various sections within the Main Choir. Anne is a member of the ISM and ABCD, and currently runs a busy private teaching practise (piano and singing), and is Director of Music at St. Mary Magdalene church, Tanworth-in-Arden.
 Director of Music, Bournville Graduates
Stephen Ellis As the son of the founder, Stephen has naturally played an active role in the choir since the age of 7, and became Assistant Director of Bournville Young Singers upon his return to Birmingham in September 2006. Born in 1983, Stephen has a BA in Creative Arts from Bath Spa University, and an MA in Film and Television Studies from Warwick University. He is Subject Leader of A-Level Drama & Theatre Studies at Cadbury Sixth Form College, where he also teaches Film Studies. Stephen has extensive singing, musical and performance experience, having sung for Birmingham Cathedral Choir, been a member of various bands and ensembles, and played lead roles in several theatre productions, including an outdoor production of King Lear in 2011. Stephen is a Grade 8 percussionist, plays the guitar and piano, and enjoys composing and arranging choral music. Stephen resigned his position at BYS in July 2011 in order to launch the new chamber choir for young adults, the Bournville Graduates, as an affiliate choir to the Young Singers.
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