Staff
Carl Browning
Hon. Secretary and Founder
Carl Browning inherited the British Youth Choir from his predecessor David Clover when he was appointed Music Adviser to the City of Sheffield in October 1979. Within a few months he brokered the foundation of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain (NYCGB) after guidance from his Chief Education Officer, Michael Harrison and negotiations with Sir David Willcocks, Principal of London’s Royal College of Music. Retiring from Sheffield in the '90s Carl emigrated to New Zealand where he started The Nelson Annual Summer School of Music in 2001. (Mark Anyan has attended this event on three occasions).
Alongside Mike Brewer, who was Music Director of NYCGB for many years, Carl has steered these and other youth choral organisations both nationally and internationally with vision and musical expertise. The two presently celebrate 45 years together as friends and music colleagues. Concerts have been wide ranging and include 10 Albert Hall appearances, two with the National Youth Orchestra, three FA Cup Final appearances and many other concerts abroad. NYCGB have performed in Canada and the States (seven visits including Salt Lake City's Mormon Tabernacle Church, Grace Cathedral on three occasions, the new Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles), Australia (four visits including the outback) and New Zealand (four visits), The Cook Islands (two), South Africa, Honolulu (three visits), Samoa and Singapore (two visits). A recent tour of Central Europe was completed with the assistance of a professional agency. All previous overseas tours had been organised exclusively and single handedly by Carl. Mike conducted and Mark administered the 2006 European tour with the very able assistance of Greg Beardsell and Rachel Staunton, Mike’s wife Sandra and with Inga and Carl Browning. All the mentioned staff had an important and major role in this mid-European trip.
Carl has spent a lot of time living and working in New Zealand and holds dual citizenship. He keeps in touch with staff and an ever changing choir membership in UK as well as in NZ where he directs four choirs during the summer months as well as the January Summer School Choir and Orchestra which has featured guest conductors Mike Brewer on three occasions, Brian Kay, Ebbe Munk (two visits with another looming in January 2013), Jonathan Willcocks (programmed again for 2014) and his father Sir David. Our Emeritus President of NYGB (Sir David Willcocks) has directed no fewer than six NZ courses since 2001 (all at Carl's invitation) including three concerts in the now defunct Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch.
The four New Zealand Combined Choirs from the top of the South Island gave a celebratory concert for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in Nelson Cathedral last March. It was directed by Carl and accompanied by the Pettman Academy Orchestra. This instrumental group, based at the University of Canterbury with an average member age of 15, attracted a sell-out concert in the cathedral. The Academy players were founded and generously sponsored by Lord Barrie and Lady Maureen Pettman. Barrie has served on the NYCGB Board of Trustees since 2010.
