Nathan mentors new choral music programme with Tŷ Cerdd
As part of Tŷ Cerdd’s professional development opportunities for music creators in Wales, Nathan leads a new pathway exploring the world of choral music.
This pathway offers 5 Welsh music-creators the opportunity to develop skills in writing new, distinctive work for community choir, with mentor Nathan James Dearden and Côr ABC.
Community choirs are a keystone of music in Wales, and central to our nation’s democratic approach to music-making. Most community choirs comprise members of varying abilities and backgrounds.
Mentor Nathan James Dearden (Welsh composer/educator) and Aberystwyth-based community group Côr ABC will work with the selected artists to develop the new pieces.
Côr ABC works predominantly in Welsh, and at least two of the selected composers will commit to writing work in the Welsh language.
Artists who use experimental/non-notational approaches are welcome to apply, alongside those using standard musical notation.
If you think you have something interesting to bring to a community choir – apply!
The nuts and bolts
We’ll kick off with a choral-skills bootcamp over 2 days [Monday 3 & Tuesday 4 November] in our Studio at Tŷ Cerdd (in Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff). These will be lively, information-packed sessions looking at different approaches to writing for choirs. We’ll also visit the BBC National Chorus of Wales in rehearsal on the evening of 4 November, to experience the work of a large, audition-based outfit.
The participating music-creators will then work independently on developing their new pieces, with one-to-one support from Nathan James Dearden and Tŷ Cerdd team members.
In early 2026, there will be two full-day workshops in Aberystwyth with Côr ABC – we’ll provide accommodation and travel expenses for those that need them. And we’ll have a final sharing.
These dates are:
Saturday 28 February - workshop #1
Saturday 28 March - workshop #2
Saturday 9 May - final workshop / sharing event
Each participating composer will receive a payment of £1,000 (in addition to expenses for travel within Wales, and accommodation where necessary).
Apply now
To find out more information and to apply now, please visit this website: https://www.tycerdd.org/codi-cor
