Auditions for the 2013

Wales Millennium Centre Only Kids Aloud Chorus

After their huge success in 2012, Wales Millennium Centre and the Only Aloud Charity are once again on the lookout for recruits for the Wales Millennium Centre / Only Kids Aloud Chorus 2013.

The Centre, along with Musical Director of Only Men Aloud, Tim Rhys Evans, will be scouring Wales for talented young people, girls and boys, to create a 60-strong children’s choir for 2013/14.

This year, the Centre is going digital as they ask participants to submit online auditions. Children should be aged between 9 and 13 (must be 13 years old or younger on 31 August 2013) and live in Wales.

Conrad Lynch, Artistic Director at Wales Millennium said “Building on the success of 2012, this is another chance for children from all backgrounds across Wales to experience some truly unique opportunities with us here at the Centre as we head towards our 10th birthday.  We’ve had an amazing 12 months working with the first ever Wales Millennium Centre Only Kids Aloud Choir and we’re really looking forward to several unique projects which are on the horizon for 2013. We again welcome children from all corners of the country to audition to what I’m confident will be another momentous year for the young choristers”

Tim Rhys Evans, Artistic Director of The Aloud Charity said “We had such a brilliant time last year with the Wales Millennium Centre/ Only Kids Aloud Choir and we’re even more excited to get year two underway. Only Kids Aloud is hard work but hugely rewarding so I’m looking for someone to show that they’re up for the challenge by being really well prepared for the audition, by knowing their song really well and performing it with confidence. A tip for those auditioning: be careful with the song you choose and make sure it suits you and that you enjoy singing it. You can sing in any language and any style; but last year some kids chose songs that were too old for them….. there are great songs out there for kids and I want to hear children sounding like children, not trying to be Adele. We’re not looking for loads of experience and it doesn’t even matter if it’s the first time you’ve sung – if you love to sing, fancy giving it a go and want to have some great training, great experiences and great fun then send in your recordings!”

The choir was created in 2012 to take part in a performance of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony under the baton of one of the world’s foremost conductors, Maestro Valery Gergiev. Since its formation the Choir has performed with the Mariinsky Theatre in both St. Petersburg and Cardiff to much critical acclaim as well as at the Paralympic Flame Festival held in Cardiff Bay. The icing on the cake for the young people was their participation in Danny Boyle’s unforgettable opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics, seen by a global television audience of 4.8 billion. In December, the choir joined the Aloud family on stage in both Llandudno and Cardiff for an Aloud at Christmas concert which rounded off a truly memorable year for all the children involved.

Those interested in auditioning should visit  wmc.org.uk/OKA and download the application form. Completed applications should be returned to Wales Millennium Centre no later than Tuesday 7 May 2013 along with an audio file or a short video of the participant singing a song, or part of a song. The footage should be no longer than 2 minutes long. Songs can be sung in any language and may be accompanied or unaccompanied.

Wales Millennium Centre will contact all applicants in early May with the outcome of the first stage of the auditioning process.  Live auditions will take place across Wales for successful auditionees during May.

60 chosen children will be invited to form the 2013 Wales Millennium Centre / Only Kids Aloud Chorus 2013 and will receive coaching and tuition from members of the Only Men Aloud team.

ImPatrickDownes