About Us
The choir in 1945
The choir in 2005
Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir has been established for more than eighty years and is an upper-voice choir. It has been supported by the Co-operative movement until recently when changes within the Group meant sponsorship was no longer an option. The Choir has been a registered Charity since 1991 (1005938). It consists of up to 200 children divided into two training choirs and the main choir. Children are recruited into the first training choir as young as three years of age and remain in this choir until five years of age. They then move up to the second training choir until the age of nine when, if they are ready to take on the challenges, them move up to the main choir. The training choirs are taught using Kodaly principles. The main choir, which is over 100 strong, has choristers aged from ten to twenty years of age. New choristers wishing to join the main choir will be asked to come into meet the Music Director prior to a Friday rehearsal so that they can be placed into the correct section of the choir.
In 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002 the choir was a semi-finalists or finalist in the Sainsbury's 'Choir of the Year Competition' broadcast on the BBC. In 2001 the choir won the BBC Look North Community Choir Competition. The choir sang at the opening of the Millennium Dome, at the Torch Processions of the Sydney Olympics, at Voices 500 in Canada during 2001 and at the first Holocaust Memorial Service at Westminster.
In 2008 the choir entered the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year open category and won the national finals. This led to a place in the grand final the following month where the choir were successful in being crowned BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year. It has been a rollercoaster year since and the choir were invited to take part in the BBC Proms 2009 performing Handel's Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall.
The training choir were featured on the CBBC's 'Take a Bow' programme recorded at the end of last year. This programme is still being broadcast and has been seen by viewers abroad as well as at home.The choir offers inclusive and equal opportunities to all children. The object and remit of the choir is to advance the education of the public in the Arts and in particular the Art of Music in all its branches through the presentation of concerts and other activities.
There is a simple uniform that all choristers are expected to adhere to and wear at all official concerts and functions. All music and folders are provided free of charge. If you would like more information about when the choir meets, costs and rehearsal times please visit our Membership Details page.
Musical Director of the Choir is Susan Hollingworth.
A Graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music Sue studied voice. She divides her time between her work as a Choral Director and Music Educator. In 1990 Sue was awarded a Churchill fellowship for her work with choirs. In 2010, she was awarded “Choir Master of the Year” by the Gramophone Magazine. This is a community music award, given to those who have made the greatest impact in their singing communities.
Sue is Musical Director of the Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir. This open access choir won the overall title of “BBC3 Choir of the Year in 2008”. They took part in the BBC Proms in September 2009 singing “Messiah” and received rave reviews. In 2000 they travelled to Sydney to take part in the Olympic Torch Processions, sang at the opening night celebrations of the Millennium Dome and at the first Holocaust Memorial Service at Westminster. The Choir was chosen to make a BBC programme called “Take a Bow” about interesting activities children do after school and was the subject of a documentary on Radio 4. Recently, younger members of the choir made recordings for the Sing Up magazine and website.
Sue is also Musical Director of the Sine Nomine International Touring Choir. All members of this choir are themselves choral directors and in recent years the choir has been the guest choir at Presteigne Festival, performed at the Three Choirs Festival in Worcester and international festivals in Italy. Sue has also conducted the Minster Minstrels Vocal Ensemble for the National Centre of Early Music. With this organisation, she conducted 550 York school children at the Schools Proms to celebrate the 350th Anniversary of Henry Purcell. In December, BBC Radio 3 invited Sue to lead performances of the Hallelujah Chorus in Glasgow and London with participants who are new to singing and who were encouraged to join a choir. For the BBC, she also conducted an afternoon Family Prom at the Albert Hall sharing the direction with Julia Regan, a former member of the Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir.
Sue has worked for the National Youth Choirs of Scotland and Great Britain and is a guest conductor for Leeds Lieder and The National Centre for Early Music.
Sue’s Music Education work includes creating Melody Monkey’s Marvellous Music Box with Cathy Dew (this is an Early Year’s Resource), being an Advocate for Sing Up , working for the Voices Foundation and she regularly gives workshops for Making Music, 20,000 Voices and Sing for Pleasure . She has adjudicated for BBC3 Choir of the Year, Coleraine, Elgin and Don Valley festivals.
