The Junior Choir was formed in 2001 by Nigel Perrin and the CBBC as a non-school club where children over the age of eight could discover the pleasure of singing together in a group, whilst learning some basic technique. It was, as Nigel put it, “to sow a seed for what may be to come in the future.” In September 2008 Nigel handed over the baton for conducting the choir to Simon Carr-Minns, which was passed on in September 2009 to Adrienne Hale.
With the emphasis broadly on fun, the choir typically learns light music, with some harmonies, including songs from musicals and films, but can equally be taught classical pieces to sing with the adult choir when the occasion arises. (Some of the children are also members of the Bath Abbey Choir.) The children, in their distinctive purple t-shirts, perform alongside the adult choir at two professional concerts a year, take part in the Mid Somerset Festival and are often invited to sing at the Bath Music Festival in May.
The choir now numbers about 45, almost equal boys and girls, between the ages of 8 and 15, although there is no official upper age limit. It meets on Monday evenings from 6pm to 6.55pm at the United Reformed Church Halls in Grove Street, Bath. There is a termly subscription of £20 per child (£10 for siblings) and no audition to join.
Watch a video of them performing informally in front of parents and Bath Bach Choir members.
Please contact Kate Patrick at katepk@btinternet.com for information.