The Bahamas National Youth Choir was founded in 1983 as part of the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the Bahamian independence and was re-established in 1990 after a hiatus of a few years. It is a charitable national cultural entity subsidized by The Bahamas Government and the private sector.
A more fitting form of ambassadorship would be hard to fathom. Through the medium of the arts, not only does the choir provide opportunities for self-growth, development and training for young people, it also promotes the people and culture of The Bahamas through the international language of music.
The choir has sung in 25 foreign languages. That's an amazing accomplishment for any person, but extraordinarily amazing for a young person. It has produced nine commercial recordings and has traveled to twenty-four countries on four continents. It has appeared at the Concert Hall of the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., The Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City, The Moscow Conservatory in Russia, The Barbican and the Oxford University Playhouse in England, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the Beijing Symphony Hall in China, St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and The Royal Swazi Theatre and Convention Centre, Swaziland, amongst other internationally acclaimed venues.
The choir has performed for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the late Dr. Nelson Mandela, their Royal Highnesses the Earl and Countess of Wessex, internationally acclaimed actor Sir Sidney Poitier, and many other distinguished persons and acclaimed celebrities. It has appeared on television in the United States, United Kingdom, China, Cuba, Switzerland, Russia, Canada and Mexico, as well as Bahamian television stations.
The most recent performance was as a part of a Caribbean mass choir for the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.
The Bahamas National Youth Choir is the recipient of many awards, including two for outstanding work at the Seventh China International Chorus Festival in Wuxi and two gold and a silver medal at the 2012 World Choir Games, U.S.A.
They are a Gem in the crown of the nationhood of The Bahamas. Bahamians could not be prouder, especially considering that these supreme ambassadors are the youth of our nation.
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