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Yesterday began with an early clear out from Gresham’s, a place that has been a very comfortable home for us all since last Friday. Blessed with the most incredible facilities, it really is the ideal venue for us to deliver the course, and we are always welcomed so warmly by all the staff that we come across there. But Ely Cathedral calls as the concert day has finally arrived, and there is a palpable air of excitement in the breakfast hall as we all contemplate the day ahead. Spurning the joys of taking one of the buses with the young singers, I opt for a lift with my friend and colleague Jimmy Holliday.

After a good journey to Cambridgeshire, we grab a much-needed coffee when we reach Ely to fortify us for the coming hours. As we get to the Cathedral we find all the seating for choir and orchestra has been laid out last night by the incredibly hard working and dedicated Gabrieli staff, and in a logistical triumph the ensuing seating call for the choir is very smooth. It is no mean feat getting this number of people in the right place so the voice parts are gathered correctly, making sure that all the youngsters have a good sightline to the conductor, and crucially positioning the vocal faculty members as advantageously as possible within each section, so we can be the most help to our teams.

Those young singers who have done Gabrieli Roar courses in previous years are used to the splendours of the building, but for others it is their first experience of this glorious place, and perhaps of being in any building such as this. Ely Cathedral is really one of the architectural wonders of the country and I make the point to some of my altos while they are waiting for the rehearsal to begin that they should put their phones away and take the opportunity to look up at the beauty of what is around them. With parts of the building over 1000 years old, the scale of ambition and stylistic achievement is really something to behold. We in the choir are standing in the more modern extension, a mere 800 years old, and if we glance directly above us we see the incredible octagon tower, which dominates the skyline of the city as one approaches. Naturally the cathedral has a very different acoustic for us to deal with compared to the sports hall at Gresham’s, but as soon as the rehearsal starts the choir adjust effortlessly and I can feel everyone giving of their very best as we enter the home straight.

Joining us for the concert day are two unusual instruments in the orchestra, both of which feature very briefly but tellingly in the score of Saul. The harp has a beautiful solo moment following an aria sung by the character of David, representing his role as a harpist attempting to heal Saul’s troubled mind. As we listen to Emilia Agajew’s stunning playing, a great stillness descends on the building. Contrasting with this we are introduced to the carillon, a keyboard glockenspiel type instrument that Handel uses in the musical material praising David after his victory over Goliath. In the safe hands of William Whitehead this has a sparkling, bell-like quality and it brings a smile to the faces of all who hear it. These are just two stand out moments in this incredible oratorio, and they certainly whet the appetite of the young singers for the performance to come.

At the end of the rehearsal, we leave the building full of inspiration and anticipation. It is well known that choirs march on their stomachs, so we head for the King’s School, Ely where the traditional pre-concert Roar barbecue takes place. One would struggle to find a better feast anywhere in the country and soon all of us are very well fed and watered.

Before we get to the performance of Saul I head to a small reception, held in the beautiful garden at the Deanery and hosted by the Very Reverend Mark Bonney DL who has been an amazing friend to us over the years. Mark retires this year so our CEO Susie York Skinner presents him and his wife Katie with a gift from us as a small token of our appreciation for all the support they have given. Those of you who have been reading these musings carefully will recall that I mentioned that alongside the large oratorio choir on the course stands a small chamber choir for the year 12s and 13s. It is now their moment to shine as our Creative Directors, Charles and Emily, conduct them in fantastic performances of their two a cappella pieces in front of the very attentive gathered audience. Having last heard them about 72 hours before I am amazed at the journey they have gone on since then, producing highly disciplined, tight and musical performances. Their brilliance sets us up magnificently for the main event…

When I enter the cathedral there is a superb atmosphere being generated, both from the young singers and the audience. Many parents and siblings are in attendance, and all the singers are super keen to show off the fruits of their hard work over the last week. The performance starts on time and Handel’s score unfolds magnificently in front of us all. It is a total masterpiece and we are fortunate to have world class soloists with us who bring the full drama of the story out, captivating us all along the way, led by Matthew Brook’s multi-faceted interpretation of the title role of Saul. To have 250 youngsters sitting impeccably still, focussed and concentrated, through almost three hours of Handel, is testament to each and every one of the soloists brilliance of story telling as well as vocal ability. Of course the orchestra are magnificent and bring all their experience and trademark expertise to the show. My personal highlight of the instrumental contributions is the justly famous Funeral March towards the end of the piece, which accompanies the funeral procession of King Saul and Jonathan after their deaths. There is something profoundly moving in the dignity of this music, using the unusual combination of three trombones, two flutes, organ and drums, and you will simply not hear this music better played anywhere than this particular performance.

But of course the real stars of the show are the young singers that make up Gabrieli Roar. The wall of sound that the massed choir produces, especially in the opening and closing choruses, is completely thrilling. Everyone sings with total commitment and joy and leaves nothing behind, knowing that this is the culmination of everything they have achieved on the course. Ranging in age from 11 to 19, each and every one them should feel a huge sense of pride to what they have achieved, not just in the final performance but over the course of the last incredible week. We respect their talents and honour them by being seriously demanding while they are with us. We are shamelessly ambitious about what young people can achieve, and yet again this week they have proved to us and, more importantly, to themselves, that the sky is the limit. As Paul McCreesh says:

“We don’t just do music and singing. We introduce young people to a whole thrilling world of creativity and culture, celebrating history, art, architecture, literature, poetry, language, philosophy, and the power of religious thought. Gabrieli Roar is passionate about opening young minds. We change lives. And we have a lot of fun too.”

Thank you for being with me on my daily ramblings from the Roar course – I hope you have enjoyed this peek behind the scenes. All of us who work on these courses have certainly had a ball and bid farewell for another year with hearts and minds full and hugely enriched by our experiences with our young singers over the days.

They think it’s all over. It is now!

David Clegg

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