Junior Choral Course 1: Winchester College, Hampshire
Tuesday 19th August - Sunday 24th August 2025
Directors: James Bartlett & Ben Vonberg-Clark
📸: BasPhoto
James Bartlett is Director of Music at Christ's Hospital School. Originally from Pembrokeshire, James sang in the choir of St Davids Cathedral whilst at school, before reading Music at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he held a choral scholarship and sang with Sidney Sussex College Choir and King's College Choir, recording and touring internationally. James maintains a busy portfolio of professional singing work with a variety of choirs in London and as a soloist all over the country. James previously taught at Ibstock Place School and Marlborough College and, alongside his work with the Choral Courses, is a Musical Director for the National Youth Music Theatre.
Ben Vonberg-Clark is a tenor, conductor and campaigner for choral music education. He conducts the University of Essex choir and sings recitals, oratorio and as a part of many of London’s top choral ensembles. With the UoEC, he has conducted the London Mozart Players, the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment and the City of London Sinfonia.
Working across the world, Ben has developed a reputation for high quality and energetic music making, whether singing a solo recital as part of the Aldeburgh Festival, or taking a primary school singing workshop. Ben studied in Durham, Vienna and at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and is now taught by Nicky Spence.
Known for singing 20th century song, Ben has a close relationship with Britten Pears, and performs and conducts regularly there. In June 2023 he performed in John Bridcut’s new film on Michael Tippett on the BBC. Ben has also sung with the Sixteen, Stile Antico, the Eric Whitacre Singers, the BBC Singers, Polyphony and La Nuova Musica, among others. His book “Introducing Singing” was published in 2023 by Trinity College London.
In 2013 he founded the children’s choirs of St. John the Divine, Kennington, and those choirs now have a national reputation for their pioneering work in the community of north Brixton. He is now based in Essex and has founded two children’s choirs there, working with the Ed Sheeran foundation, alongside working as a teacher and choir leader at Ipswich School.
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We are excited to be returning to Winchester College for the second time this summer. The College was founded in 1382 and has existed on the same site ever since. Located in the city of Winchester, the school is surrounded by 11 acres of gardens and has more than 80 listed buildings. The school can be found on College Street and is easily accessible on the train and by car.
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You must be between the ages of 8 and 15 to apply for this course. If you are 15, you must currently be in Year 10.
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The cost of this course is ÂŁ1010. There are a number of payment options available:
ÂŁ250 deposit followed by an invoice to pay the remaining balance via a bank transfer by 31st March 2025
ÂŁ250 deposit followed by two invoices - one to pay 50% of the remaining balance by 31st March 2025 and the other to pay the remainder by 9th July 2025.
The full ÂŁ1010 on application using a credit card (plus a 1.5% Stripe transaction fee)
A monthly payment plan to be completed 6 weeks before the start of the course (8th July 2025) following a deposit of ÂŁ250 on application. (monthly payments will be subject to a 1.5% Stripe processing fee)
Through one of the Foundation’s means-tested bursaries. See more below.
The refund policy is the same whichever payment option you choose. A full refund is available if you cancel the place by 5pm on 8th July 2025. 50% refund is available if cancelled after 5pm on 8th July 2025 and before 5pm on 29th July 2025. No refund is available if you cancel after 5pm on 29th July 2025. (Stripe processing fees are not refundable.)
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Our bursaries are awarded based on financial need, and the amount awarded is calculated on a sliding scale, which is means-tested. You can read about the criteria here as well deadlines and what information we need. You can apply for a bursary as part of registering for the course.
If you do not meet the criteria to receive a bursary from The Rodolfus Foundation, you may wish to look for other sources of funding. We have a list here which you may find helpful.
FURTHER INFORMATION
ARRIVAL TIMES
The arrival time on day 1 is different from that of any previous Choral Course. Singers must now arrive between 11:00am and 11:30am on the first day. The course will conclude on the final day between 5:00pm and 6:00pm.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
We welcome applications from singers outside of the UK. However, please note that course fees will include an approximate 3.25% card processing fee.
MORE QUESTIONS?
Please check out the main Junior Choral Courses page for further information, including information for changing voices, timings, and what’s included.