JOINING US

Our auditions

For an audition, candidates will be asked to perform one song from memory, accompanied. The performance should take no more than 3 minutes. They will also do some aural tests including musical memory tests and singing chords. Those in Year 7 and above will also be asked to do some sight singing. The audition will take around 20 minutes. See below for some of the sight reading examples.

New choir members must be available to attend the Easter course following audition.

Please only book an audition if your child is able to attend the Easter course.

Our 2027 courses will take place at Bromsgrove School on the following dates:

Easter – Sunday 28th March – Saturday 3rd April

Summer – Sunday 8th August – Saturday 14th August

Booking is now open for our next round of auditions, which will be held during November 2026, to join us at our 2027 courses.

Auditions are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and in recent years spaces in several locations have filled up quickly. We strongly recommend applying early to avoid disappointment.

We will close booking for each venue once it is full.

If your preferred date is fully booked and you are unable to attend another venue, please email us to be placed on a waiting list.

Important information about applying for an audition

Please note that a letter of recommendation from a singing teacher, music teacher or choir conductor is required at the point of applying for an audition. We can only accept applications that include a letter of recommendation. This should include details of the applicant’s musical achievements, what they are currently doing musically and why they should be considered for a place in NCCGB.

What does a typical NCCGB day look like? 

Singing, singing and more singing! The rehearsal day runs from 9 – 6pm. During these times the children spend most of their time singing in rehearsals, in singing lessons, or in musicianship sessions. We build in breaks and some downtime after lunch where they get the chance to do their choice of recreation. Activities on offer vary by course, but typically include things such as crafts, sport, friendship bracelet making, dance, bingo, origami, and board games. There is always an organised evening activity, such as a quiz, film night, and a cabaret evening.

Our days are full of fun but also require our singers to learn choral discipline, which requires focus, concentration, listening, and working as a team. We work across both courses towards a final large public concert at the end of the summer course and so it is imperative that the whole choir works as a team to achieve this.

It is really important to us that your child gets the most out of their time with us. NCCGB is a really happy place for children who love to sing. However, we appreciate that not all children may be suited to long periods of concentration or be quite ready yet for the long days, spent mainly in choir rehearsals.

Please do consider this before applying for an audition space. It may be that your child would benefit from waiting for another year and applying when you think they are ready for the environment of the course and will therefore get more out of it.

If you have any concerns, we would be very pleased to discuss them with you ahead of an application, to ensure that we can support your child whilst they are with us. Please contact us if you have any questions.

This autumn’s auditions will be held in the following locations:

Tiverton – Sunday 1 November

London (South) – Saturday 7 November

Leeds – Saturday 7 November

Newark – Saturday 7 November

Bristol – Sunday 8 November

Manchester – Saturday 14 November

London (North) – Sunday 15 November

Birmingham – Saturday 21 November

London (South) – Saturday 21 November

London (South) – Saturday 28 November

with a date to be added on the South Coast 

We hold our auditions in person. This gives candidates the chance to meet our team and get a real feel for who we are. We make sure that the audition experience is a really fun and positive one for all those who participate and we think this is much better in person. However we appreciate that there may be extenuating circumstances that prevent attendance in person. We are happy to discuss this on a case by case basis.

To book an audition, please select the relevant application form for your child.

Auditions Application Form Years 4 – 6 – The National Children’s Choir

Auditions Application Form Year 7+ – The National Children’s Choir

Course fees and Bursary Scheme

The NCCGB bursary scheme exists to help participants who find it difficult to meet the costs of our course fees.