YOUNG PEOPLE WANT to have their voices heard. That’s true in a general sense, but also specifically in a musical one, which goes a long way toward explaining the phenomenal growth of the Vancouver Youth Choir. In fact, the ensemble, which artistic director Carrie Tennant founded in 2013, has had to cap its membership at 730 singers across 16 ensembles at eight levels.
In a telephone interview, Tennant tells Stir that the high level of demand for spots in the choir doesn’t surprise her.
“It’s really hard for young people to find authentic places of connection in their lives right now, that are human to human, and not either through a screen or removed in some way,” she says. “And so, there’s a real hunger for group singing, especially at the level of artistry and heart that these kids have. They’re so passionate about it. It’s not just an after-school activity for them. It’s an art form, and they take the community and inclusivity just as seriously as they take the Monteverdi or the Decemberists.”
The past few seasons have seen the Vancouver Youth Choir excel at an artistic level. In May of 2025, for example, the group won Chorus America’s prestigious Margaret Hillis Award for Artistic and Organizational Achievement. A year later, the VYC brought home the Fleischmann International Trophy from the Cork International Choral Festival in Ireland. Later that same month, the choir closed its season with the biggest concert of its career at the Orpheum.
And there are exciting times ahead, too. In December, the Vancouver Youth Choir will join Early Music Vancouver at its annual Christmas concert at the Chan Centre to perform Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria. Next spring, the group will jet off to the European Youth Choir Festival in Basel, Switzerland.