Martyn Ford conducting the 2022 Junior Choral Course at Wellington College. 📷 Becca Nichols
What is a typical day like?
A day in the life of a JCC member is action-packed and exciting!
The day begins at 8am with a hearty breakfast in the surroundings and expansive grounds of a beautiful English school. From there, our young singers begin their morning vocal warm-up session which is led each day by a member of our talented musical staff team. The morning is very varied with rehearsals that are complemented by break and snack times. You may also have consorts and sectionals to balance out the day of singing. In the afternoon, you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch and have a long activity session with free time. Oh… and don’t forget the famed JCC Tuckshop! We finish off the day with a few more rehearsals and consort sessions before heading to the evening activity! After a day of hard work and play, you’ll be ready for a goodnight’ sleep and eager for the fun surprises of the coming days.
📷: Becca Nichols
Rehearsals in the Chapel
What music will I sing?
The music we sing on JCC’s are hugely varied and so rehearsals encompass a mixture of popular, upbeat music and some sacred choral music. Every rehearsal is a lively one and soon enough you will find yourself in fits of laughter, whether that be at a funny sketch involving staff or one of our Director’s attempts at a joke. Keep scrolling for a video of the staff being a little silly…
Will there be help learning the music?
Sectional rehearsals are a really helpful way to learn some of the course music with a dedicated section leader who can help you to work out any tricky moments. To create these groups, we divide the choir into the various voice parts (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) so you’ll all be able to focus on your own musical line before bringing things together in the full choir rehearsals. Sectional rehearsal are also a great environment to build your confidence with a small group of people around you.
My treble voice is changing - can I still come on the course?
The changing voices will often have their own bespoke programme of sessions during the day. Sometimes, one of our musical team will work separately with changing voices during rehearsals and where solo opportunities arise, we offer vocal coaching with some of our own experienced staff singers. If you are in the changing voices group, you will also get the chance to prepare and learn a group song to perform at the end of course concert.
Will I enjoy the food?
Our host schools always provide the most wonderful meals with all kinds of various food options. It is the perfect time to rest and recuperate after a busy morning of singing and also a chance to catch up with friends and meet new people! At the end of each lunch, you’ll even get a chance to hear all the course staff in action as they sing grace for the members.
What is a ‘Consort’ group?
In addition to the full choir and sectional rehearsals, one of the most popular aspects of the courses is the opportunity to sing in small vocal groups called ‘Consorts’. You will normally be in a group with children of a similar age, while older groups will also contain a mixture of voice parts. The focus of Consorts is geared towards learning a different style of music to what you will sing with the full choir so you will get a chance to develop your own sight-singing skills and the blend within a group. Consorts will
often learn various multi-part arrangements, some close-harmony songs, acapella or accompanied music. Each Consort gets a chance to perform their work in the Informal Concert at the end of each week! Your consort leader will be able to broaden your horizons with a musical education that encompasses not only a good vocal technique and sound production but encourages a sense of camaraderie that feeds into musicianship and performance skills. Consort groups are both musically enriching and simply great fun!
What else is there to do apart from singing?
It's always a popular time of the day for children (and staff!) when we open up our tuck shop. You’ll be able to choose from crisps, sweets, chocolates, drinks and many more, so make sure to bring along some pocket money! There are lots of scheduled breaks during the day to keep you active and fresh. We also have two specific activity sessions, one in the afternoon and the other in the evening. Throughout the week, you will get the chance to participate in all different kinds of games. Whether your an active and sporty or calm and creative we’ve got something for everyone. There are multiple choices of activities so there will always be an option that you can try. Some popular JCC activities include: Choralympics, Meditation, Board Games, Arts and Crafts, Swimming, Sports such as Football, Cricket, Tennis and The Wide Game (you’ll have to joins us to find out about this one!). You'll also have the chance to rest and relax with the big JCC Movie Night (complete with Popcorn galore!) at the end of the course.
What if I feel unwell or my voice gets tired?
With a long week of singing, it is so important to look after yourself and your vocal health. Our lovely course Matron will always be on hand and happy to help you if you are feeling unwell or would like some support. Many of our staff are also professional musicians and singers and so are very experienced in vocal health techniques. Sometimes we organise Vocal Health sessions during the week which course participants can join for vocal recovery exercises such as straw therapy. Make sure to come and chat to us if you’re worried about anything. We are always happy to help!
Do we get to perform?
In the middle of the week, we host our own informal concert. There is a vast mixture of solo instrumental performances, duets, trios and group performances. Each consort will showcase their week’s work and we even sometimes have other fun performances such as sketches and poetic readings! Make sure to bring any music and instruments with you if you’d like to get involved!
The last day of the course is a chance to show your family and friends what you have been doing all week! All are invited to join us to watch a concert showcasing all of the secular and sacred music learnt during the course.