Wyre Forest Young Voices

The choir, for young people aged 11-18, was formed in September 1997 under the sponsorship of Kidderminster Choral Society and with the assistance of grants from the National Lottery 'Arts for Everyone' scheme and the Kidderminster and District Youth Trust. The choir also acknowledges financial assistance received from the Elmley Foundation and the continuing support of the Youth Trust. Its organising committee includes members of the Choral Society's committee, members of the choir, and a parent representative.

The choir has the benefit of professionals Geoffrey Weaver (Musical Director), Luise Horrocks (Vocal Coach) and Mike Elden (Accompanist).

Wyre Forest Young Voices has a wide-ranging repertoire, including songs from the shows, folk songs, classical pieces, and so on. It has presented ten concerts since its formation, and has now taken part in three of the Kidderminster Choral Society's Christmas Concerts. As part of the Choral Society's Centenary celebrations in 1999 the choir sang in one of the Society's concerts (taking the "children's choir" part in Andrew Carter's Benedicite), as well as presenting its own concert which also included a choir of young people from Legnica in Poland.

The choir has presented its concerts at Holy Innocents' Church, Kidderminster, and Kidderminster Town Hall, as well as at two open-air venues - Harvington Hall and Dudmaston Hall, both not far from Kidderminster. Two new venues will be added to this list in the 2000-2001 season - the Harry Cheshire Community High School, in Kidderminster, and Great Witley Church. In addition, it will pay its first visit to Husum (Kidderminster's German twin town) in October 2000, where it will present two concerts. This first visit to the Continent will be preceded (by four days!) by participation in the Elgar Festival in Worcester - the choir's first experience of competing against other choral groups.

Geoffrey Weaver, the founder of Wyre Forest Young Voices, has been the Musical Director of the Kidderminster Choral Society since 1987. After spending seven years in Hong Kong with the Church Missionary Society, as a teacher and conductor, he was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers at Bradford Cathedral in 1982. From 1986 he was a tutor at the Selly Oak Colleges in Birmingham, and he is now the Director of Outreach with the Royal School of Church Music (which takes him all over the country). In 1991 he undertook teaching tours in the Philippines and Nigeria; in 1992 he was the Director of Music at the Conference of European Churches in Prague, and he has edited two volumes of music from the World Church. In 1996 he directed the music for an important Worcester Diocesan celebration, and in 1998 he directed the music at the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury. In 1999, apart from directing the Society in its Centenary year, he undertook teaching tours in Australia, the USA, Canada and Switzerland.

Luise Horrocks, the Voice Coach for Wyre Forest Young Voices, is a well-known soprano soloist, based in Worcester. She is also a singing teacher, and an adjudicator in music festivals.

Michael Elden, the choir's accompanist, also accompanies the Kidderminster Choral Society and other choirs in the West Midlands. He is an organist and a teacher.