Huge congratulations to Rosalila, who has been busy performing with the National Youth Choir! Her recent concert at Birmingham Conservatoire, World O World, brought together an ambitious and wide-ranging repertoire, and gave Rosalila memories she will treasure for years to come.
The concert took its title from World O World, a piece by the Grammy-winning composer Jacob Collier, performed by the choir as its centrepiece. Jacob even joined the singers via video call ahead of the performance to share his thoughts and inspire the young musicians. For Rosalila, hearing directly from the composer behind the music made the experience feel all the more special.
Each year, the National Youth Choir works with a different conductor, and this year’s was Irish. It proved a lovely coincidence for Rosalila, whose grandparents are Irish Gaelic speakers. She also had a wonderful conversation with the soloist of the Irish piece in the programme, swapping stories about their experiences as Irish speakers. Moments like these are a reminder of how music can open doors to culture, language and identity in the most natural way.
Rosalila found the whole experience genuinely inspirational. The choir brought together a wonderfully diverse mix of young people from across the country, and she made some fantastic friends along the way. She particularly loved the opportunity to celebrate both music and diversity within one choir, and to be part of something so ambitious and welcoming.
Well done, Rosalila, on this fantastic achievement! We look forward to hearing what you do next.
