Peter Baker, Editor of Zone magazine, talked to Adrian Partington, the Programme Director about the course with comments from Simon Halsey, International Chair in Choral Conducting.

Simon Halsey and Adrian Partington

PB This course seems to me to be extremely timely.

AP Simon Halsey, the International Chair of Choral Conducting, and I were very keen to pick up on the nation’s renewed interest in choral music both through recent television series and because of the very gratifying government initiative to make all primary schools singing schools. It had become increasingly clear that a course was needed to meet choral conducting needs at all levels. At the moment, there is no formal training in this country and choral conductors have mostly learned the job on the hoof because it has become expedient to do so. Many come from other musical backgrounds – music teachers, instrumental teaching and conducting, brass bands, community choirs and so on, and have very varying levels of expertise.

When we researched what was available, we found that all the conservatoires had ad hoc courses and only the Royal Academy had a very specialist choral conducting course but it really set out to attract students with the highest musical aspirations.

SH We must here recognise the importance of the support of the principal of the RWCMD, Hilary Boulding. ‘We’re in it for the long term’, she has said. She has a perceptive idea of the distinctive work which is required of the RWCMD in getting to the heart of the nation’s musical problems.

AP We are looking to train music students who have finished their degrees and want to go on to do an MA but the course is open to anyone with the typical minimum entry requirements for all Masters courses. These include an upper second class degree in music with a significant practical component, or a university degree (usually in music) plus a significant practical diploma in music. We are offering scholarships and intend to be as financially generous as we can to attract the right applicants.

A very important part of the course is sending students on placements. Simon and I can draw on a wide network of contacts amongst choral societies, male voice choirs, school choirs and young choirs, symphony choruses, and church and cathedral choirs and so on. I am sure Sing Up will bring many more opportunities. We shall also expect students to set up their own choirs and we shall have a guinea pig choir for them to practise on.

SH  Interestingly, school singing has remained relatively strong in Wales, and we’ll be hoping to co-operate with the Welsh Assembly to safeguard and enhance specifically Welsh standards.

PB Apart from the academic requirements, what are you looking for in applicants for the course?

AP Fundamentally, we are looking for people with a burning desire to run choirs for a living. We want to see a whole generation of choral conductors who really want to do it. Of course, they must be able to sing, not necessarily at operatic standards, but enough to be able to indicate what is needed. They must have reasonable keyboard skills but this is not a keyboard-dominated course of the type which has excluded good candidates in the past.

They must have a genuine interest in helping young people to sing as the Sing Up campaign will be establishing many young choirs. This means they must have a lively outlook and be good with singers. Personal communication is the key. They must be engaging, be in charge but not dominate, be outgoing and not arrogant and have a vital interest in the singing life of the country.

SH  We hope in time to attract students from all over the world, but with a distinctive remit to contribute to Wales’ and the UK’s choral development.

PB Is there a distinct difference in style between what I might call a Choir Master and a Choral Director?

AP I think Choir Master is now a very outmoded term. I grant that it applied to many church choirs and there is a difference from running a small church choir to being a Choral Director, particularly of a large choir. The key is confidence and confidence comes from making a fool of yourself and learning from it. Choral Directors have to have skills and confidence. They have to be dynamic and have style and aspirations.

PB I am not surprised that you have a strand in the course on working with young choirs. What additional training do you think choral directors of young choirs need?

AP To a degree, you need the same approach for all ages. You have to have an engaging and imaginative personality and choose appropriate repertoire. You can advance choral singing at all ages without a sheet of music. 

All choirs need to be disciplined which, to a degree, comes from signing away your individuality in order to be part of a much bigger group. For the Choral Conductor, discipline is not a question of ability but personality and, if needs be, adopting an act. You have to be engaging and never let people get bored. Bored choirs don’t sing well!

SH We must all recognise the importance of choral singing, which has always been at the heart of the UK’s communities until recently. We must build on recent initiatives to get more and more people singing. 

But people only want to sing if the conductor is good. Our job here is to produce as many good choral conductors for the community as possible.