Boys sing solos in BBC Proms

On Monday 4 August two memebrs of the Schola, Malakai Bayoh and Carlos Gonzalez Napoles, appeared as soloists for a performance of Mahler's Das Klangende Lied, alongside the BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Constanza Chorus, and an exceptional cast of soloists, under the baton of acclaimed Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu. The concert was performed before an audience of thousands at the Royal Albert Hall and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

The reviews spoke highly of the boys' contribution with one writing: “The two youngsters both delivered their solos with professionalism and style. Carlos González Nápoles is a classic boy soprano with a sonic purity. Alto Malakai Bayoh showed an emotional maturity and timbral control way beyond his years.”

Another wrote: “Best of all, Mahler’s hopeful plea in the score (Womöglich durch eine Knabenstimme auszuführen!) was honoured – two boys’ voices, in fact, both from the Schola Cantorum at the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School: first, alto Malakai Bayoh, then treble Carlos Gonzáles Nápoles – small of stature, but not of voice, skill or courage as he sent those spinechilling fortissimo leaps of more than an octave – a tenth – ringing into the hall!”