CÔR Dyfed Choir is offering an exciting opportunity through its youth choral scholarship scheme to young people who want singing to be an important part of their lives, either as an amateur or professional.

The aim of the scheme is to encourage and mentor talented young singers and to provide opportunities for them to perform a wide range of musical works with the choir.

It enables young singers to help fulfil the choir’s core aim which is to foster and promote interest and appreciation of choral music amongst the general public.

The scheme offers regular free one-to-one tuition with qualified singing teachers and, at the end of the year, a certificate to add to scholars’ portfolios or CVs.

It also offers free annual membership of a high-quality choir, worth over £100, and the experience of rehearsing and performing a wide choral repertoire under the baton of professional music directors.

Any singer aged between 16 and 25 living in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire or Ceredigion is eligible to apply for a choral scholarship. Applicants need to complete an application form and then attend an interview and audition with the choir’s music director.

Auditions and interviews take place throughout the year. Scholars must attend regularly the rehearsals held every Tuesday evening during term-time at the Bloomfield Centre in Narberth. They will also sing in Côr Dyfed Choir concerts three or four times a year, often in St Davids Cathedral.

Any young person interested can find details on the choir’s website at dyfedchoir.co.uk/join and contact the secretary Hannah Jones for an application form.

Lily Thompson who was a youth choral scholar in 2018/201, said: “Joining the Dyfed Choir as a choral scholar this year has offered me so many brilliant opportunities, such as improving my sight singing, introducing me to my new singing teacher and letting me perform in many beautiful locations.

“My favourite concert from the year has to be the summer concert, in which we performed Rutter’s The Sprig of Thyme.”