There is something rather wonderful about the end of term.
Schools empty. Teachers exhale. Parents begin wondering how many days it will be before someone announces they’re bored. And youth organisations across the country somehow summon the energy for one last concert, performance or celebration before everyone disappears for the summer.
Those who know me will know that musical theatre is not exactly a hidden passion. Those who don’t know me may still, I suspect, have worked it out quite quickly. I am rarely happier than when someone bursts into song, preferably with harmonies, choreography and a modest lighting change.
So MYCO’s Roaring On! was always likely to find me a receptive audience. But even allowing for my own very obvious bias, this was a genuinely uplifting evening.
If you’ve never come across the Musical Youth Company of Oxford (MYCO), you really should. Founded in 1988, it brings together more than fifty talented young people from across Oxfordshire, aged between 12 and 19. Every member has successfully auditioned to earn their place in the company. But what impressed me wasn’t the selectivity. It was the sense of belonging.
The programme was ambitious in every sense. In little over two hours we travelled through decades of musical theatre, from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Hamilton, via A Little Night Music, In the Heights, Jersey Boys, The Great Gatsby, Paddington The Musical, Chicago, Kinky Boots and many more besides.
The musical ability on display was, quite simply, outstanding. There were powerful ensemble numbers, beautifully judged harmonies, confident soloists and a live band that drove the evening along with real energy. It is easy to forget just how much work sits behind a performance that looks so effortless.
But as is so often the case with youth organisations, what stayed with me wasn’t simply the quality of the singing.
It was the way these young people supported one another.
Every soloist knew they had a company behind them. Every ensemble member celebrated someone else’s moment in the spotlight. There was no sense of competition, only a shared determination to produce something special together.
That culture doesn’t happen by accident.
It comes from dedicated volunteers, patient musical directors, supportive families and leaders who understand that they are developing people every bit as much as performers.
As someone who has spent much of my career championing opportunities for young people beyond the classroom, evenings like this always leave me optimistic. We sometimes talk about music, drama and youth organisations as though they are “extras”.
They aren’t.
They are places where confidence is discovered, friendships are formed, resilience quietly develops and young people learn to trust both themselves and each other. They are places where young people find their voice, often long before they realise quite how important that voice will become.
Some of MYCO’s members will undoubtedly go on to drama school and professional careers in theatre. Many won’t. And that isn’t the point. The confidence, discipline, teamwork and sheer joy of creating something together will serve every one of them, whatever path they eventually choose.
The applause at the end is for the performance.
The real achievement is everything that happened in the rehearsals over the preceding months.
I was also delighted to see that the evening supported Teenage Cancer Trust, a reminder that young people often understand better than we give them credit for that talent carries with it an opportunity to make a difference to others.
And then came the encore, led by the leavers: those members now ageing out of MYCO and taking their final bow with the company. There were, quite understandably, some very wobbly emotions on stage and in the audience. After years of rehearsals, shows, friendships and shared nerves, saying goodbye was never going to be easy. It was a lovely reminder that MYCO is so much more than a musical theatre company. For many of these young people, it has been a second family, and one whose influence will stay with them long after the curtain has fallen.
My heartfelt thanks go to everyone who made Roaring On! possible, not least the remarkable team of volunteers working behind the scenes. In particular, I want to thank Monica Islam, MYCO’s Chair, whose leadership, warmth and quiet commitment help sustain an organisation that has been inspiring young people for almost four decades. She is supported by an outstanding committee, creative team and countless volunteers, all giving generously of their time so that others can discover what they are capable of.
To every member of the company: thank you.
You gave your audience a wonderful evening of entertainment. More importantly, you reminded us what can happen when talented young people are encouraged, challenged and trusted to shine.
As the house lights came up and another MYCO year drew to a close, I found myself leaving with exactly the feeling that organisations like this should inspire: hope. Hope in the extraordinary talent of the next generation; hope in the adults who invest so generously in them; and hope that, whatever challenges our world may face, there will always be young people ready to step into the spotlight and give it everything they’ve got.
Here’s to another generation of young people finding their voice, discovering their confidence and, in every sense of the phrase, roaring on.
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