Simon Toyne conducting the 2022 Choral Course in Oxford. 📸: Will Fellows
What’s it like on a senior choral course?
A typical day on a Senior Choral Course starts with breakfast and a whole-choir warm-up. The singers head down from their rooms at around 8am to eat together and to get their voices ready for the day ahead.
📸: Becca Nichols
David Hurley leads the morning warm-up
Whole-choir rehearsals in the morning are punctuated with individual singing lessons and mini-masterclasses. Each singer has two individual singing lessons during the week with one of our singing teachers. They then have the chance to perform one of their pieces in a small workshop environment with their teacher and a handful of other singers.
Lunch is a time for everyone to re-group and to listen to any notices from the staff. One of the consort groups - more on these below - sing grace before everyone digs into their food.
After lunch there is time for consort group practice. All singers are placed in a group with a mix of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. Lead by one of our course assistants, the singers work on secular or sacred unaccompanied pieces This is a great opportunity to work on how to blend the voice within a group, and to develop good sight-singing skills.
Some afternoons are spent in a masterclass with a visiting vocal professional. We invite international soloists or consort singers from leading ensembles to spend time with the singers - always an inspiration to the young singers.
Wellbeing
Wellbeing hour is scheduled around tea time – of course, our wellbeing lead is available at any hour but this is a specific time to do something relaxing and non-musical, particularly if you are feeling tired vocally. It’s a good moment to chat with one of the singing teachers to have a vocal health check-in.
We also invite an Alexander Technique or Feldenkrais practitioner to give classes on each course. It's so important to teach young singers and to look after their mind and body, not just their voices during an intense week of singing.
The main focus of the week is to prepare for and sing evensong and compline both on site and at neighbouring college chapels or cathedrals, often working with a guest conductor.
Ben Nichols rehearses the choir for Compline at Merton College
The evening meal is followed by more full-choir rehearsals and the evening ends with a leisure hour. This is a chance socialise and take part in a range of fun activities such as quizzes, games or film nights that the staff will plan for you.
Ben Nichols rehearses the choir for Compline at Merton College
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.