Suso Youth Choir – a Singing Family
By Nell Mescal
In advance of Suso Youth Choir launching their first album, I asked one of our founding members, Nell, to write about her experience of being in the choir:
Spreading the Music with Suso
The Lovely Nell
Speak up Sing out Youth Choir has been one of the best things I’ve ever been a part of.
It started in 2015 and has members from ages 14-21. Ever since it began it has given me so many opportunities I never would ever dreamed of getting. We have performed in many concerts and have sung with the High Hopes Choir, the All Ireland Peace Choir in St.Patricks Cathedral. We have also sung at the Navan Choral Competition and opened the Canalaphonic Music Festival in 2016 & 2017. This year we went on a trip to Waterford to work with Phil Brennan the musical director of the All Ireland Peace Choir. During the summer we played at Vantastival Music Festival. We are also on social media, with some of our music videos on YouTube.
Our Singing Family
On a personal note, Suso has made me more confident in my singing and performing in front of people. The thought of singing on my own in front of a big audience used to scare me and I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself but now I feel confident and happy when I sing in front of large crowds. Each talented member of the choir brings something interesting and different to the group. Eimear and Claire, our music directors, work really hard to give us the opportunities we get and we are all so grateful for them. Being in this choir is like being in a singing family because we have all become really good friends and are very supportive of each other.
Our First Album gets launched
This year we recorded an album called Stereotyped. We all discussed together the songs we wanted to record and it wasn’t long before we were recording. The recording process was really exciting and fun!! Each section went in a group at a time and we recorded our pieces and the soloists went in by themselves. I think I can say on behalf of everyone that this was an amazing experience especially getting to do it with your friends.
Our album will go towards funding a trip to Prague in March 2018 for the Young Bohemia Choral Festival.
What makes Suso Youth Choir special is having so many unique personalities and giving everyone a voice and an opinion in how we do things. I think one of the biggest things for me being the youngest of the choir is that even though I’m the youngest, I have never felt inadequate. For choirs to actually work, individuals have to come together to make a team and that’s exactly what we are.
So get yourself down to Kilcock this Sunday 3rd December for our Stereotyped album launch. The album is also available for sale through SpeakUp SingOut Music School. We are worth supporting – we are young people making an awesome change through our music.
