Youthful Spirit
Encyclopedia
Youthful Spirit is an award winning Gospel music
Choir
from Churchill Community School
, North Somerset
, England
. It consists of students at the school from Year 9. Occasionally it is only Year 10 as it is felt that voices in Year 9 may not be mature enough to cope with some of the songs in the choir's repertoire. The only entry requirement is "Students with a passion for music". It was born by Churchill Music! with the support of Alison Cooper and all the other music staff, and has since become an international gospel choir.
and A cappella
to the likes of Stevie Wonder
, Cyndi Lauper
and other pop influenced songs. The choir create CDs of their work: "... You Caught Me In the Groove", 2000, "Sweet Rhythms", 2003, "Song of the Sunrise", 2006, "Blessed", 2008 and "Glorious" of 2009. The CDs were originally recorded in Weston College
and Worle Community School
until the 2006 "Song of the Sunrise" which was recorded in the school with the construction of the new Performing Arts building and Recording Studio. "Song of the Sunrise" was recorded at the school and the local St John the Baptist Church. The choir go on European Tours, generally to mark the release of a new CD such as the "Song of the Sunrise Tour" in 2006 and the "Blessed Tour" in 2008.
From September 2009, the setup of the choir is set to change. Musical Director Alison Cooper wants the choir to have more say in the choirs repertoire and split the mass choir into smaller groups for rehearsal purposes. It was announced on Friday September 11 that a new CD was to be made by the end of the year. The CD is to be called "Glorious" and will include songs such as Whitney Houston
's I Go To The Rock and Edwin Hawkins
' I Heard The Voice.
In 2011, the choir were asked to perform at St Georges, Bristol once again. For a new year, and a new feel to the choir, they branched into more popular music
, including Take That
's Rule the World
and Labrinth
's Let the Sunshine, which proved to be extremely popular. This new, revamped repertoire will be taken on tour to Austria in July 2011.
, generally to mark the release of a new CD. As of 2008, they have been to Athens
, Greece
; Hildesheim
, Germany
; Carinthia
, Austria
; and Venice
, Italy
. They have also performed at the Royal Albert Hall
, London
.
Some of the venues at which the choir have performed include Terra Mystica, Austria
(a venue inside a mountain), The Playhouse, Weston-super-Mare
and St Nicholas Cathedral, Prague
. They have also performed at Wells Cathedral
, Somerset
for the 5 Bishops attending the Lambeth Conference in 2008 and St George's Church, Brandon Hill
, Bristol in a Gospel evening in March 2009.
By the end of 2008, it was looking unlikely that a tour in 2009 would happen, due to the economic climate. However, ultimately the tour went ahead travelling by coach to "keep costs down", visiting Carinthia, Austria once again in venues in Murau
, Lake Ossiach
, and Feistritz im Rosental
. The tour was a huge success with nearly every concert a sell-out.
The 2010 tour went to Hildesheim
in Germany
. It's been the second time that the choir performed there.
The concerts took place on the historic market square.
A trip to Berlin
with a visit in the Bundestag
and a performance in the St. Mathilde Church in Laatzen
was included.
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
Choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
from Churchill Community School
Churchill Community School
Churchill Academy and Sixth Form, previously known as Churchill Community Foundation School and Sixth Form Centre, is an academy situated in the village of Churchill, North Somerset, England, surrounded by countryside and overlooked by the Mendip Hills. It educates students from ages 11 to 18 and...
, North Somerset
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It consists of students at the school from Year 9. Occasionally it is only Year 10 as it is felt that voices in Year 9 may not be mature enough to cope with some of the songs in the choir's repertoire. The only entry requirement is "Students with a passion for music". It was born by Churchill Music! with the support of Alison Cooper and all the other music staff, and has since become an international gospel choir.
About
Founded in 1998 by Alison Cooper, Head of Music at the school, Youthful Spirit has a wide repertoire ranging from SwahiliSwahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
and A cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
to the likes of Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
and other pop influenced songs. The choir create CDs of their work: "... You Caught Me In the Groove", 2000, "Sweet Rhythms", 2003, "Song of the Sunrise", 2006, "Blessed", 2008 and "Glorious" of 2009. The CDs were originally recorded in Weston College
Weston College
Weston College is a further education college situated in Weston-super-Mare, England. The college has 7,500 students who are taught at facilities in Weston-super-Mare and Nailsea...
and Worle Community School
Worle Community School
Worle Community School is a community school and specialist Arts College in Worle, a suburb of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset, England. There are currently 1,490 students aged 11 to 16 in the school.-History:...
until the 2006 "Song of the Sunrise" which was recorded in the school with the construction of the new Performing Arts building and Recording Studio. "Song of the Sunrise" was recorded at the school and the local St John the Baptist Church. The choir go on European Tours, generally to mark the release of a new CD such as the "Song of the Sunrise Tour" in 2006 and the "Blessed Tour" in 2008.
From September 2009, the setup of the choir is set to change. Musical Director Alison Cooper wants the choir to have more say in the choirs repertoire and split the mass choir into smaller groups for rehearsal purposes. It was announced on Friday September 11 that a new CD was to be made by the end of the year. The CD is to be called "Glorious" and will include songs such as Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's I Go To The Rock and Edwin Hawkins
Edwin Hawkins
Edwin Hawkins is a Grammy Award-winning American gospel and R&B musician, pianist, choir master, composer and arranger. He is one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He are best known for his arrangement of "Oh Happy Day" , which was included on the Songs of the Century list...
' I Heard The Voice.
In 2011, the choir were asked to perform at St Georges, Bristol once again. For a new year, and a new feel to the choir, they branched into more popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, including Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
's Rule the World
Rule the World
"Rule the World" is the fifth single from Take That's fourth studio album Beautiful World. It was released in the UK on 21 October 2007 and as a CD single the following day.-Song information:...
and Labrinth
Labrinth
Timothy McKenzie , better known by his stage name Labrinth, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. McKenzie is signed to Simon Cowell's record label Syco, becoming the first non-talent show signing in six years...
's Let the Sunshine, which proved to be extremely popular. This new, revamped repertoire will be taken on tour to Austria in July 2011.
Tour
The choir go on tour to various destinations in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, generally to mark the release of a new CD. As of 2008, they have been to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
; Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
; and Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. They have also performed at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Some of the venues at which the choir have performed include Terra Mystica, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
(a venue inside a mountain), The Playhouse, Weston-super-Mare
The Playhouse, Weston-Super-Mare
The Playhouse is a 664 seat theatre in Weston-super-Mare, England that hosts a largely entertainment based programme of shows all year round including opera, ballet, comedy, music and pantomime performances....
and St Nicholas Cathedral, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. They have also performed at Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, who lives at the adjacent Bishop's Palace....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
for the 5 Bishops attending the Lambeth Conference in 2008 and St George's Church, Brandon Hill
St George's Church, Brandon Hill
St George's is a church in the Clifton area of Bristol, England.It was built between 1821 and 1823 by Sir Robert Smirke in a Greek Revival style...
, Bristol in a Gospel evening in March 2009.
By the end of 2008, it was looking unlikely that a tour in 2009 would happen, due to the economic climate. However, ultimately the tour went ahead travelling by coach to "keep costs down", visiting Carinthia, Austria once again in venues in Murau
Murau
Murau is the capital of the district of the same name in Styria, located along the Mur river. It has a population of 2,331.-History:The area was already settled in the Bronze Age and Roman time, for the first time document which mentioned Murau was in the year 1250.During the Second World War a...
, Lake Ossiach
Lake Ossiach
Lake Ossiach is a lake in the Austrian state of Carinthia, situated in the Nock Mountains between the towns of Villach and Feldkirchen. It is the third largest lake in Carinthia, superseded only by Lake Wörth and Lake Millstatt....
, and Feistritz im Rosental
Feistritz im Rosental
Feistritz im Rosental is a market town in the district of Klagenfurt-Land in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is located on the northern slope of the Karawanken mountain range in the Rosental, a valley of the Drava River. According to the 2001 census 13.3% of the population are Carinthian...
. The tour was a huge success with nearly every concert a sell-out.
The 2010 tour went to Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It's been the second time that the choir performed there.
The concerts took place on the historic market square.
A trip to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
with a visit in the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
and a performance in the St. Mathilde Church in Laatzen
Laatzen
Laatzen is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated directly south of Hanover.-Division of the town:In 1964, the municipalities of Laatzen and Grasdorf were merged into the city Laatzen...
was included.
Discography
| ...You Caught Me In The Groove | 2000 |
| Sweet Rhythms | 2003 |
| Song of the Sunrise | 2006 |
| Blessed | 2008 |
| Glorious | 2010 |