The following is an extract from an article by Richard Fawkes that recently appeared in the Classical Music magazine.
These courses have been running every summer for nearly 30 years although not originally with the Eton label attached. Founder Ralph Allwood was director of music at Uppingham when he began them as a way of helping young singers prepare from choral scholarships both to Oxbridge and the cathedral choirs.
‘They are still geared towards people preparing for scholarships’, he says. ‘People who need, for various reasons, to get their sight reading better, their range better, their delivery, and so on. There really is a purpose to what we do and that's one of the reasons the courses are so successful’.
That may remain the primary purpose, but many young people […] go just because they love a good sing. Since 1980, when there were 32 boys and girls on the first course (and Allwood had to phone round his friends to find participants), some 4,000 students have passed through its portals. Many have gone on to become professional musicians. […]
The students are put into consort groups of 10 or 11, and each group takes part in workshops and gives an informal concert. The singing teachers, all highly-qualified and drawn from a pool of 15, give every student two individual lessons and take mini-masterclasses for groups of six who have to sing solo to one another. ‘That's a very good way of getting over nerves’, says Allwood. ‘Then we have solo singing sessions in which they sing to the whole group.’ All the students are invited to bring an instrument with them. ‘Every single one of the courses we've had has produced an orchestra as well, and one of the staff conducts it. Sometimes it's quite good, sometimes pretty shambolic, but it's great fun.’ Masterclasses are given by singers of the eminence of Michael Chance, James Bowman, John Mark Ainsley and Susan MacCulloch. An Alexander technique teacher also visits. […]
A week on an Eton Choral Course is intense but in all the time he had been running them (and this coming summer sees the 100th course) Allwood had only lost two singers who could not handle the pace. ‘Two girls arrived in the evening, were frightened by the difficulty of the music and went the next morning. Nothing any of us could say could persuade them that in two days time they would be radiantly happy, would have made loads of friends and just love it. The learning curve is steeper for that one week than at any other time because they spend their whole day learning about singing, hearing singing or singing themselves.’ And they are accepted without an audition.
It can be intimidating to arrive on a course not knowing anyone, which is why Allwood insists everyone wears a name badge and if he and his staff see anyone left out, they are quick to make sure they are included. ‘Within an hour of arrival they've met four or five of the adults on the course and lots of friends. Another rule of my house style is that every single adults knows the names of those he'll come into contact with by the first night. I know all the names because I've learnt them all beforehand.’ Friendships made on a course tend to be for life. […]
This coming summer, credit crunch permitting, there will be six more Eton Choral Courses, three at Eton College and others at Durham, Oxford and Cambridge. When Allwood moved from Uppingham to become director of music at Eton, the college was keen he continue the courses. Eton not only provides the premises but offers bursaries to those who cannot afford fees in the region of £500. Other places such as Trinity College, Cambridge, also offer bursaries which are taken up by about a tenth of students. ‘If people can't afford it they just have to write in and we'll do our best to help.’
If there is one thing Allwood would change about the courses, it is that he would like to see more state school children on them. Last summer, a third were from the state sector. ‘If anybody was to level a criticism at us they'd say we are dominated by independent schools and that's why we do so well. But having been at a state school myself, I'm very keen to get state schools involved. The proportion has been going up and up, particularly in the last few years.’ […]At an open day at King's College, recently, Stephen Cleobury was asked if you had to have been on an Eton Choral Course in order to become a King's choral scholar. ‘No’, he replied, ‘but it does help.’ If you're looking for a course to improve your singing, and to have an experience you will never forget, it would be hard to do much better.
