Photo courtesy of the National Catholic Youth Choir

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn.—Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta has offered a $250 scholarship toward registration for the National Catholic Youth Choir Camp/Tour July 6-14.

The National Catholic Youth Choir (NCYC) is entering its 20th year of celebrating faith, fun and beautiful music in the lives of young choristers from across the nation.

NCYC is a nine-day camp and choir tour on the campus of Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn.

Conductor of the choir is André Heywood, who serves as artistic director of The St. John’s Boys’ Choir and as conductor of the Saint John’s Abbey Schola (monastic choir). He is the liturgical music director at Saint John’s Preparatory School, and is an adjunct faculty member at the university where he directs two ensembles and teaches graduate choral conducting.

Heywood has twice been recognized with awards by the American Choral Directors’ Association of Minnesota. He is a doctoral candidate in choral conducting at the University of Toronto.

The $250 scholarship, offered by Archbishop Gregory, is for an Atlanta area student in grades 8-12. The entire camp fee is $750 and includes food, boarding and travel costs for the camp and tour.

The application/audition process is a three-part process for potential choristers and includes submitting two recorded auditions of scales, a selected hymn and a recommendation form. The application deadline is March 15.