Her Majesty The Queen, Head of The Commonwealth
Diamond Jubilee Patron 2012, Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir
“The Commonwealth has an inspiring way of bringing people together and the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir is a reminder of how truly vibrant this international family is.”
The Queen’s Christmas Message 2017
The Rt Hon. the Lord Howell of Guildford
President, Royal Commonwealth Society and Chairman, Council of Commonwealth Societies
Honorary Vice-President, Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir
“I personally regard the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir as one of the jewels in the Commonwealth crown and should be 'on display' at every opportunity!”
His Excellency Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth Secretary-General (2008-2016)
Patron, Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir
"Director-General, Sally Shebe is a Commonwealth Pioneer - with courage and determination she has delivered the extraordinary achievements and ground-breaking work of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra & Choir, with an unique vision of using the soft power of music as a means of international dialogue throughout all 53 countries of the Commonwealth."
The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, Commonwealth Secretary-General (2016 - )
Patron, Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir
“It is a huge pleasure and privilege to hold the baton that has been passed to me by the Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma. There is much for us to do for the Secretary-General’s vision for the orchestra and choir and I hope that together we will make great music, in harmony with each other.”
The Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir (CYO) is the first, and remains the only, full-time music organisation in the world which works 24/7, 52 weeks a year, exclusively throughout the 53 Commonwealth Nations.
The CYO has received an unique, specific and unanimous endorsement from all the Commonwealth Heads of Government, which was published in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Final Communique following their 2011 Meeting in Perth, Australia.
“Culture builds bridges” - this is extensively and pervasively demonstrated by the CYO through its international, trans-racial engagement and as a model of actual “Engaged Diversity” in action, including its unique major cross-borders initiative, The Commonwealth Music Partnership – Music for Peace & Development, which unites all choirs, orchestras and music schools in the Commonwealth for fully-funded pan-Commonwealth exchange, collaboration and engagement.
With Her Majesty The Queen, Head of The Commonwealth, as its Diamond Jubilee Patron, the CYO continues to work tirelessly to deliver its mission of “using music as a means of international dialogue, knowing no boundaries”, through it three-point plan “Engage-Educate-Empower”.
For The Queen’s Christmas Message 2017, Her Majesty graciously invited members of the CYO to perform on this very special programme, which was broadcast throughout the United Kingdom and across all the Commonwealth Nations on 25 December 2017.
On Wednesday 26 September, by kind permission of The Master, Professor Jane Stapleton DCL and The Fellows of Christ’s College, Cambridge, the CYO held a special event as part of its programme Inspire to Aspire – Creating Opportunities for Engaged Diversity.
In April 2018 the CYO produced three new non-commercial CDs:
City of London made possible with the kind support of the City of London Corporation on the occasion of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
A Song For Malta produced with the kind support of the Government of Malta, to mark and celebrate the Commonwealth Chair-in-Office 2015-2018, of the Prime Minister of Malta, The Hon Dr Joseph Muscat KUOM.
In Unity which is dedicated to HRH Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, on the taking up, on 16 April 2018, his new role of Commonwealth Youth Ambassador.
On International Day of Peace Wednesday 21 September 2016, the CYO launched an important and ground-breaking internet platform which is the CYO’s Commonwealth Music Hub. A new central CYO music hub website and six independent linked CYO satellite websites, to give huge visibility to the CYO’s major programmes for delivering its mission. The Hub Graphic is shown below.
Since September 2016 CYO’s seven websites have been rolled out over an initial 18-month period, the first stage culminating in April 2018 at which point an expansive internet platform has now been created - a space, going forward, for engagement, education, visibility and connectivity across the 53 Nations that are the 21st century Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Music Partnership
Commonwealth Community Heritage
Commonwealth Music Competitions
Commonwealth Music Distance Learning
