News

Yesterday was a fabulous start to the Gabrieli Roar Summer Residential 2026. After a hearty breakfast in the Gresham’s dining hall, the whole Vocal Faculty met first thing with Roar Creative Directors Charles Béquignon-MacDougall and Emily Dickens, and Director of Roar Anna Winstone, to talk through the day ahead, outlining various aspects both musical and practical, and generally putting us all in mind of the task ahead. And then we were all sent off to our various first tasks. No turning back now!

Along with five of my colleagues, my working day started with taking some individual singing lessons at 09.30 running until the first break late morning, at which point both pupils and teachers had well-earned refreshments to fortify them for the first sectionals of the course. I said in my first missive that this was one of the parts of the course I was most looking forward to, and the two sectionals I was involved in yesterday more than lived up to expectation. Already Team Alto are making a wonderful, rich sound and it is so rewarding to witness the progress that so many of these young singers have made from previous courses. Within the altos we have a healthy mix of experienced Roarers alongside some newbies, all who have responded so well to the demands that Rebekah and I put on them in these rehearsals. Our task is not only to teach the notes to our charges, but also to quickly establish best working practices for choral singers, encouraging them immediately to act as flexible chamber musicians rather than as some unwieldy large choral society. Handel’s choruses in Saul offer ample opportunity for them to display a full range of skills and I was delighted with the start we made on numerous numbers. For a first day I think we are ahead of the game from where we have sometimes been, which gives us an amazing platform to build upon in the coming days. What thrilled me the most was the youngster’s willingness to look up as much as possible this early in the course – never easy when sight-reading. When I deliberately held up the final chord of one movement to try and catch them out, and not one of my 52 altos moved early, it made me a very happy conductor indeed!

The day was full of other triumphs. A brilliant class I eavesdropped on was taken by Oliver Tarney simply called “Any Questions?”, billed as a relaxed, interactive session for any musical questions, demystifying scores, markings, rehearsal language and performance practice. Such a good chance for youngsters to ask things they didn’t know they needed to know, and all done with Oli’s characteristic humour and collaborative nature. The evening’s optional ‘twilight’ masterclasses had wide repertoire ranging from Purcell’s profoundly tragic lament from Dido to an aria from Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, via Mozart’s Queen of the Night and the highly wrought “If its true” from the musical Hadestown. So wonderful to see these singers show their courage performing solo in front of their peers.

My final thing to report is that yesterday there was a challenge to our reputation of the Roar residential being a course for large scale oratorio performance when our pocket rocket staff member Freya Parry led a massed participation musical theatre workshop based on the ever-catchy “Food, Glorious Food” from Lionel Bart’s “Oliver”. To see these amazing young people throw themselves into this both in voice and spirit with movement is heart-warming indeed and made for a wonderful end to the working day for all who witnessed it. The youngsters then went off for their Sports Day/Night (where do they get their energy from?), while the slightly less young repaired to our very nice accommodation to wind down, some choosing to watch England claim the bronze medal at the World Cup following their 6-4 victory over the French.

Eventually all went to bed knowing it all begins again today! A slightly later start for most as it is Sunday, but not for me – I’ve agreed to lead a Park Run at 09.00 for those who want to do one. Given I’m considerably older than most, when I say lead, what I mean to say is that I will be leading from the back. Wish me luck.

David Clegg

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