A Day of Music and Masterclasses in Cambridge

On Monday 26th July, our Schola Cantorum and pupil organists visited Cambridge University for a day of workshops and masterclasses. The choir began in the Chapel of Trinity College, working with Steven Grahl (Director of Music at Trinity and Director of the Oxford Bach Soloists), while the organists visited Nicholas Morris at Queen’s College. After some free time, we reconvened at Pembroke College for a masterclass with Luke Fitzgerald (Director of Music at Pembroke), culminating in a reflective service of Compline in their beautiful 1665 Chapel, designed and built by Christopher Wren.

Rosamund M and Amalia O on their vocal workshop with Steven Grahl at Trinity College:
We absolutely loved the masterclass with Steven Grahl at Trinity College, Cambridge. We worked on Rachmaninov’s Bogoroditse Devo and Tallis’ If Ye Love Me, and left sounding so much better in preparation for our Evensong service at Pembroke College that afternoon. We really enjoyed singing in such an amazing venue, and it was interesting to learn more about the many choral opportunities available at the university.

Marcus Y, Stephanie O and Anna S on their organ workshop with Nicholas Morris at Queen’s College:
It was fascinating to discuss the stylistic features of our pieces with Nick. We were given insightful guidance on phrasing, rubato, and articulation, and were encouraged to think carefully about the expressive use of slurs and the shaping of musical lines. This has made us feel much more confident in our approach to solo repertoire.