AN ‘HONOURED’ Rugby School student who holds the title of BBC Young Chorister of the Year will sing to her biggest live audience yet at an international rugby match this weekend.
Naomi Simon, 16, will perform the national anthem in front of up to 10,500 people at Saracens’ StoneX Stadium in London, ahead of England Women’s match against Canada on Saturday (September 30).
The event caps a remarkable couple of years for Naomi, who enjoyed her debut London performance with the Twickenham Choral Society at Cadogan Hall in Sloane Square last year.
Since winning the BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2022 last December, she has performed on Songs of Praise, appeared on the BBC news, and recorded a wide range of songs with the Philharmonic Orchestra for broadcast on Radio 2, 3 and 4.
Naomi sang God Save the King ahead of the England vs Wales women’s U18s international match at Rugby School in March.
She also sang God Save the King ahead of the England vs Wales women’s U18s international match at Rugby School’s historic pitch on The Close in March.
Now she is looking forward to her biggest gig yet.
She said: “I can’t wait! I am so honoured – what an opportunity.”
Naomi was a toddler when her passion for singing became evident to her parents Carey and Frances.
At the age of seven, she won a choral music scholarship to attend the York Minster School and then joined the York Minster Choir. In 2020, she won a music scholarship to study at Rugby School, where she is a boarder.
The opportunity to sing at this weekend’s match came about when she auditioned for the Hi Lo Singers, who had watched her competing in the BBC Young Chorister of the Year competition.
Click here to hear clips of Naomi performing with the Philharmonic Orchestra. Click here to see how she won the BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2022.
