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From tenors rehearsing hunting choruses running through the woods to the mandatory Mediocre Joke Moment at the end of every alto sectional, the annual Gabrieli Roar Residential Course welcomes, entertains, challenges, excites… and exhausts (and that’s just the staff!).

Our six day residential prepared over 200 participants to perform Haydn’s The Seasons at Ely Cathedral on 23 July. Gabrieli Roar residential courses are intensive, exciting projects, with a breathtaking range and amount of activity. Tackling musically demanding repertoire is the heart of the Gabrieli Roar mission, but learning the set repertoire is only one aspect of the experience: we also support our young singers to understand the musical, cultural and theological context of the repertoire, and expand their growing musicianship, technical ability and confidence. We facilitate this through a carefully designed series of sectional rehearsals and workshops exploring sight-reading, memorising, aural musicianship, score-reading and vocal health, as well as singing and conducting masterclasses, one-to-one vocal tuition and careers talks, are delivered by a Vocal Faculty of ten acclaimed professional artists. We have fun too: evenings are reserved for social activities, from the ceilidh and quiz nights to the massively over-hyped talent show!

We’re so grateful to everyone who makes this transformational project possible: our ever-entertaining pastoral team, peerless professional musicians and the brilliant vocal faculty; our participants who rise to every challenge we throw them and their dedicated choir directors, teachers and parents who help to make sure they’re prepared and supported throughout the course; and of course our ambitious leadership team: Creative Directors Charles Béquignon-MacDougall and Emily Dickens, who support Paul McCreesh to realise his vision of sharing great choral repertoire generously, with young people everywhere. Thank you EVERYONE and see you next year… for Handel’s Saul!