The BBC Singers in C & O Magazine

**Y Mab Afradlon** · 30-12-12, 15:23

Is there a correlation between pupils with free school meals and choral vibrato and big individual voices?

**Gabriel Jackson** · 30-12-12, 16:18

The workshops we do with student composers (also talked about by Andrew Stewart) are very important too, given that most UK conservatoires have no chamber choir, so we often provide the only opportunities available to them to actually hear their choral pieces, and the feedback and advice they get from the singers is incredibly useful.

And, on the subject of Andrew Stewart, I'm going to shamelessly plug this http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc...CDA67976&vw=dc , out on Wednesday, for which he's written the (very good!) notes.

**ardcarp** · 30-12-12, 17:09

given that most UK conservatoires have no chamber choir

I can't believe that is true, but if it is, again I say

**Oldcrofter** · 30-12-12, 17:51

Re "most UK conservatoires have no chamber choir"

A quick search tells me that Birmingham, Royal Northern, Royal College, Royal Academy, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal Welsh, Trinity and Leeds all have chamber choirs. Guildhall has a junior chamber choir (and may have a senior one - can't find any info. as yet)

At a rough guess, I'd say that's probably a majority of the UK conservatoires - but I'm no expert and could be totally wrong, of course.

**Gabriel Jackson** · 30-12-12, 20:02

Originally posted by Oldcrofter View Post

Re "most UK conservatoires have no chamber choir"

A quick search tells me that Birmingham, Royal Northern, Royal College, Royal Academy, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal Welsh, Trinity and Leeds all have chamber choirs. Guildhall has a junior chamber choir (and may have a senior one - can't find any info. as yet)

At a rough guess, I'd say that's probably a majority of the UK conservatoires - but I'm no expert and could be totally wrong, of course.

I'm sorry, I should have said English conservatoires. I wasn't aware the RAM still had a chamber choir (we see students from the RAM), the RCM certainly doesn't. I knew there were plans for one at the RNCM, has it started yet?

**DracoM** · 30-12-12, 20:19

GJ

What kind of schools are these 'outreach sessions' conducted in?

**Gabriel Jackson** · 30-12-12, 20:28

Originally posted by DracoM View Post

GJ

What kind of schools are these 'outreach sessions' conducted in?

I don't know - I'm not involved in the school projects at all.

**Caussade** · 30-12-12, 20:37

Originally posted by Gabriel Jackson View Post

I don't know - I'm not involved in the school projects at all.

From what I remember of the projects of this kind I took part in - it's been a few years now since I took was involved - quite challenging ones. Very large state primaries, some in quite run-down areas, often with little or no regular class music teaching, some ticking numerous boxes in terms of indices of deprivation. And, it must be said, the Singers did it very well indeed, with great gusto and good humour, and without the slightest hint of de haut en bas attached to proceeedings. The children had a very good time, I think.

**Oldcrofter** · 30-12-12, 21:29

Maybe the RCM Chamber Choir sank without trace after the Jubilee deluge - they look a pretty wet lot here:

Access Denied

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/the_queens_diamond_jubilee/9310670/Royal-College-of-Music-Chamber-Choir-Grit-and-determination-kept-us-singing.html

Incidentally, just come back from an excellent concert in our local church by the Gentlemen of St John's - first half Byrd, Orlandus Lassus, Jamie Burton ( Balulalow) etc. & second half "festive close harmony arrangements" - absolutely delightful and such powerful voices (ten of them) when appropriate. They've all gone straight from the chuch to the pub - all of fifty yards.

**Gabriel Jackson** · 30-12-12, 21:58

Originally posted by Oldcrofter View Post

Maybe the RCM Chamber Choir sank without trace after the Jubilee deluge - they look a pretty wet lot here:

Access Denied

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/the_queens_diamond_jubilee/9310670/Royal-College-of-Music-Chamber-Choir-Grit-and-determination-kept-us-singing.html

The Royal College of Music does not have a chamber choir. It was got rid of some years ago. Those very drenched singers going under that name must have been some kind of ad hoc, one-off grouping.

**Stephen Smith** · 30-12-12, 23:26

Originally posted by Gabriel Jackson View Post

The Royal College of Music does not have a chamber choir. It was got rid of some years ago. Those very drenched singers going under that name must have been some kind of ad hoc, one-off grouping.

I was lucky enough to be present when David Willcocks conducted a concert by the RCM chamber choir in honour of Herbert Howells on an anniversary (not sure which one) - H H was very elderly.

What a shame there is no Chamber Choir now - perhaps Gareth Malone needs to turn his attentions from the deprived estates and workplaces, towards the barren plains of the likes of the RCM (...... only suggested in jest, taking cover......).

**jean** · 31-12-12, 09:42

I wonder how regularly a group of singers has to sing together before they constitute a choir.

Dull sublunary choirs probably rehearse together once a week, and none of them fulfil solo engagements.

The objection often raised to the BBC singers is that they sound like soloists and don't produce a choral 'sound', but do they rehearse together any less than (say) the Tallis Scholars, whose members also have other lives as soloists?

Both groups, and any group of singers at a music college, presumably need far less rehearsal than the rest of us.

**subcontrabass** · 31-12-12, 09:47

Originally posted by Gabriel Jackson View Post

The Royal College of Music does not have a chamber choir. It was got rid of some years ago. Those very drenched singers going under that name must have been some kind of ad hoc, one-off grouping.

So what is the group scheduled to sing here: http://www.rcm.ac.uk/Hp/events/details/?id=7018 ?