Why Jess Gillam and the National Youth Choir will be a must-see when they perform at Reading Town Hall

When the National Youth Choir takes to the stage at Reading Town Hall early next month, they will not just be performing a concert; they will be demonstrating the culmination of an “elite musical sport”. 

Led by conductor Nicholas Chalmers, the ensemble of 110 singers aged 18 to 25 will join forces with superstar saxophonist Jess Gillam and the Gesualdo Six for an evening that spans centuries of musical history, including an all-new piece created just weeks ago.

Away from the Choir, Nicholas is a busy man. Duties included being an associate conductor of the BBC Singers, conducting them at the Covid-hit First Night of the Proms in 2020. He is Fernside Chair of Choral Conducting at The Royal Academy of Music, and he has worked at Chichester Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, English National Opera and the Royal Opera House. 

His passion for bringing classical music to the younger generations includes a project with the BBC Singers and youth choral groups in Stratford East. 

In short, there are few people more qualified than Nicholas to conduct the National Youth Choir, and his stewardship of the group means Reading is set for a treat when they perform on Thursday, 2 April.

The programme will take audiences on a journey from darkness into light, and includes choral gems ancient and modern. It opens with William Byrd’s Ave Verum and is bookended by a modern-day reimagining by Roderick Williams. Between the two pieces are works by Orlando Gibbons, Will Todd, and Ayanna Witter-Johnson.

“The pieces we choose are always an eclectic mix of styles, diversity of gender of composers, and diversity of periods of music,” Nicholas says. “We go across musical styles and borders, planning a repertoire of different nations.”

The performance will see the choir navigate language barriers as it performs in Latin, French, and English. This is a challenge the singers relish; last year, the group performed in nine different languages at Hereford Cathedral. 

“It’s really wonderful to see how they show their emotion in music, especially when they’re expressing it in a different language,” says a proud Nicholas. 

The Reading date is a homecoming of sorts for the conductor: he performed at the Town Hall two decades ago. The experience has stayed with him ever since. 

“Like many of the National Youth Choir performance venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and Cheltenham Town Hall, Reading Town Hall is one of the great concert halls and venues in the UK, and is a particularly good venue in which to host the 110 singers aged between 18 and 25, alongside celebrated and brilliant talent of Jess Gillam and the Gesualdo Six, who are the leading vocal ensemble in the United Kingdom,” he says.

“I performed about 20 years ago with the Reading Bach Choir where I played the Father Willis Organ, which I adore. I thought then that Reading Town Hall is a really special venue, and I can’t wait to be back there on that stage. 

“Tickets are selling really well, which is really encouraging for this concert.”

Treating young talent as professionals

A core tenet of Chalmers’ leadership is his refusal to make allowances for his performers’ ages. Instead, he treats the National Youth Choir with the same rigour and respect he would afford the BBC Singers. “The best thing we can always do with members of the National Youth Choir, or any young people, is treat them professionally and expose them to professional environments,” Nicholas explains.

“I think the most important thing about choirs is that collective energy. You have a group of very talented and enthusiastic young singers with a strong group mentality, which can always help them reach beyond their own capabilities. They have a superpower: friendship, and that superpower takes them to places and musical areas they probably thought they couldn’t reach. 

“That’s the most exciting thing. Not only are they inspired by Jess and Gesualdo Six, but they inspire each other to be better.”

He adds that the icing on the cake is treating them like professionals and creating a kind and supportive environment for the young adults to explore their musical horizons, regardless of where in the country they come from or what their backgrounds are, and ensure their musical horizons are broadened: “The choir is an astonishing collection of people who bring all sorts of different elements to the table.

“The best thing I can do as a leader is to use their time well, show them a respect for the music and give them a sense of what it feels like to work and exist in a professional musical environment. They always rise to that challenge.”

He continues: “The National Youth Choir is a very important organisation, and a bit like the Olympics: we want our young singers to aspire to be the very best at that level for singing. You know, we’re not embarrassed about saying the word elite. For example, this is an elite musical sport of which these young people from all backgrounds have access to, and I really believe in letting them aspire to go beyond what they can do as individuals”.

Collaborating with Jess Gillam and Gesualdo Six

Saxophonist Jess Gillam and the Gesualdo Six are more than just a couple of special guests to help the young singers feel the event is extra special: it’s part of an ongoing relationship, and Nicholas is keen to explore this. 

“Every year, at Christmas, the National Youth Choir perform carols at the Royal Albert Hall: that’s to 88,000 people over 16 concerts,” Nicolas says. “Jess Gillam was the compere for those concerts, and I’m the conductor. She and I work very closely together, and she knows the choir really well, so this will be like a meeting of old friends – Jess and the choir – which I think is very special for them. 

“Jess is so excited for April 2, because there are elements of improvisation in this concert: responding to the singers’ musical energy. There will be a great sense of freedom for her and a matching of energies between the Youth Choir and her musical prowess: it’s a real recipe for success.

“I hope that Jess and the Gesualdo Six will inspire our very, very talented young performers, not only in the way they sing in this concert, but as they pursue music throughout their lives: the National Youth Choir wants to see people singing for life, not just to the age of 25. We want them to carry on. Jess and the Gesualdo Six can show them a pathway to performing on the main stage.”

And it is this foundation for music that means Nicholas hopes Reading will pack out the Town Hall for the concert: it is more than just an evening of music. It’s a chance to help encourage the new generation to find their voice.

“The National Youth Choir brings together students from all over the country, from all different backgrounds. The opportunities you give to these young people by paying for a ticket go above and beyond what you can achieve with any other investment,” he explains. 

“It allows them to have exposure to great forms of music, and at the same time, you, as an audience member, get to see and hear the most amazing collaboration – you get inspired by them, and you’re also given them the opportunity to enhance their lives by your investment.”

When is the National Youth Choir coming to Reading, and how can I get tickets?

Jess Gillam, the Gesualdo Six, and the National Youth Choir will perform at Reading Town Hall on Thursday, 2 April, 2026, from 7pm. The performance lasts approximately 70 minutes with no interval.

Tickets are priced at £30, £26, and £22, with a special rate of £10 for those under 25.

To book tickets, log on to: https://whatsonreading.com/national-youth-choir, or contact the Box Office on 0118 960 6060. 

For wheelchair or access seats, sign up to the Access List before contacting the Box Office at boxoffice@reading.gov.uk.