The National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCOS) is one of the nation’s most accomplished musical ensembles, giving performances of remarkable precision and power under founding director Christopher Bell.

Joining forces with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and two vocal soloists, the choir performs two iconic works of 20th-century choral music to soothe, intrigue and inspire.

Benjamin Britten turned to idiosyncratic poetry by 18th-century mystic Christopher Smart in his larger-than-life Rejoice in the Lamb. The piece imagines animals, musical instruments, and even letters of the alphabet offering their unconventional praise to the Creator.

Maurice Duruflé created one of the century’s most moving expressions of hope and consolation in his Requiem. A poignant response to the brutality of the Second World War, yet looking back to the melodies of Gregorian chant, it offers beauty and compassion in its sensuous solos and choruses.

The teaching ideas of Zoltan Kodály have been central to the work of NYCOS for 25 years. At 4pm, before the concert, join Christopher Bell and 100 singers from all over Scotland in a high-energy presentation exploring how it all works.

Held in memory of Michael Shipley