It is a good thing that, as a result of the pressure on places last year, we increased the number of courses this year to six, because we had a 25% increase in the number of applications. We were able to accept very nearly all 400 applicants, and still have well balanced choirs on individual courses. Around a quarter of the participants were from state schools; of the majority aiming for Oxbridge, roughly two-fifths were interested in Oxford and three-fifths in Cambridge.
An exciting innovation this year was the course held at Trinity College, Cambridge. In addition to the buildings, Trinity generously gave us twelve full bursaries for the course. These were all taken up by those who wouldn't otherwise have been able to attend. Many on the course had not before even considered the possibility of a place at Oxbridge let alone a Choral Scholarship. We visited five different Cambridge colleges on that course for various events and finished with an Evensong at St John's conducted by Christopher Robinson. We were also spoilt rotten: the whole course were invited to morning coffee in the Master's Lodgings in Trinity and later the same day by the President of Queens' to a reception in the Long Gallery.
Bob Chilcott and Ben Parry each directed a course, and the rest I directed. There was a Live Broadcast of Evensong from Eton College Chapel by Course Four, and of Sunday Worship (celebrating W. H. Auden) by Course Three. Another highlight was the visit of Sir Paul McCartney to Course Two. This was his first visit to Eton, and he was enthralled. Ben Parry had arranged for choir his most recent piece, and the course recorded it. The fourth course was designated an organists' course, the seven organ students who joined us being taught by David Goode. The final course was based in Dean Close, a perfect setting. Ben Nicholas took on a share of the conducting and we visited Tewkesbury Abbey to sing Eucharist and Merton College, Oxford, to sing Evensong under Peter Phillips. They were musically accomplished enough to sing the great 16-part "Der Abend" by Richard Strauss in the final recital.
Vocal Master Classes were given by James Gilchrist, Susan McCulloch, Emma Kirkby, James Oxley, Michael Chance, John Mark Ainsley and Stuart Macintyre. Stephen Darlington, Jamie Burton, Sarah Macdonald, Stephen Cleobury, David Trendell, Paul Brough, Christopher Robinson, Barry Rose and Peter Phillips conducted course choirs, who sang Choral Evensong in the chapels of Selwyn, St John's and King's Colleges in Cambridge, the University Church and Merton College in Oxford, Dean Close School and Eton College Chapels and a Sunday Mass in Tewkesbury Abbey. The singing teachers, three on each course, were Bruce Pullan (who presided over a workshop for singing teachers at the outset of the courses), Anita Morrison, David Lowe, Margaret Humphrey Clark, John Bowley, Ghislaine Morgan, Sue Waters, Peter Wilson, Alan Watt, Giles Underwood, Robert Rice and Stephen Taylor. The visiting Alexander Technique teachers were Margaret Humphrey Clark, Tessa Bonner-Morgan, Flossi Challands and Tessa Cawdron.
The daily routine of a course has been unchanged in recent years: full choir practices are interspersed with individual singing lessons, small master classes, consort group practices and recitals of solo songs. An Alexander Technique teacher visits at the beginning of each course, and there are two Evensongs, an informal concert and a workshop of consort groups at the end.
For next year we plan six courses, three at Eton, one at Oxford (St Peter's and Queen's), one at Malvern for the Worcester Three Choirs Festival including a recital and Compline at Tewkesbury Abbey and one, we hope, at Trinity College, Cambridge. I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to Elaine Hillyard, Philip Highy and Vicky Savage for their excellent organisation and to twelve singing teachers, four organ teachers, six administrators, ten house staff and twenty-five assistant music staff each attending up to four of the courses, for their excellent teaching and leadership throughout the summer.
