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Conducting Summer School

That's me conducting the Sing Ireland Choir!!!!
That's me conducting the Sing Ireland Choir!!!!

I attended Sing Ireland’s 45th International Choral Conducting Summer School this summer.  I learned so much, made lots of friends and it got emotional.  Lets get into it:


The Course

It was divided up into levels 1 to 6 and there was a different group for school teachers.  I went in at level 2, going in with my choral experience, the occasional choral conducting experiences, having studied it a bit of conducting in college under Dr Marian Ingoldsby, and obviously with experience as a vocal coach.


It was a 7 day course, Saturday to the following Friday.

Every day began with a warm up.  These were conducted by the different choral conducting masters on the course. This was followed by conducting class, lunch, a large scale choir reversal and a seminar of some description.

We put the whole lot of our learning into action on the last two days then with two concerts - the first where we each conducted and the second - the big sing!

(Course Overview Link)


My Tutor

Honestly though, there was so much to learn. I really was among masters here!  My own tutor group, level 2, was under  Blánaid Murphy, Director of The Palestrina Choir and Royal Irish Academy of Music Chorale.  Blánaid Murphy is regarded as one of Ireland’s leading conductors.  She was also a really warm and lovely person.  Very perceptive.  She could actually read us completely just watching us move.  A bit unnerving but there you are.  I learned about myself too. Here is a link to more about Blánaid




It's Official, Im a conductor now!

On the Thursday, we all had to feature as conductors at the first concert.  We were all very nervous, but the professional Sing Ireland choir was excellent.  I conducted Handel’s Lascia Ch’io Pianga, as I always loved it and reckoned I would move well to it.  I had sung it in four part too so...  Check me out:


The Friday Finale Concert

On the Friday we decompressed and looked at what we learned and then there was the final large choir concert.  This choir had 5 pieces, each conducted by one of the tutors, a master in their field.  My husband John got some clips that I have here.  It was emotional to sing with them, tears were shed. They were all so on point, and so well lead. A privilege to be part of something so beautiful. I actually got to open one of the pieces as a solo part, but sadly John didn’t record that part…

So viewers beware, the following clips contain some serious vocal harmonies!!!



My Class

My class was such a mix of people of all ages but we blended and got on so well.  There were 12 of us.  In every picture there is someone missing, so here are a few pictures and you can play guess who...  There was:

  • Niamh, community  pop choir leader

  • Lisa, vocal coach and the leader of a choir for people in recovery

  • Lisa, leader of a hospital choir

  • Alison, vocal coach and leader of a community pop choir

  • John, traditional session player and avid choral singer

  • Finn, chemistry student and avid choral singer

  • Elizabeth, science teaching student and avid choral singer

  • Serena, music student in Cork, also from Waterford, and avid choral singer

  • Natalia, a community choral leader in Kiev, who travelled all the way to be there

  • Fran, an avid choral singer and sometimes stand-in conductor

  • Holly, music student and avid choral singer


The Social and the Session

We had a great time together over lunches and encouraged and helped each other along all the way.  And then after the big concert on Thursday there was a real Irish music session. John from the class gathered a full Irish traditional group and lead us with his fiddle. Elizabeth and Alice started the dancing as soloists. This developed into a full set-dancing party and eventually ended in a big sing song.  My John and Elise came down to join the craic too. And sure didn’t the class belt out all our choral stuff at the end of the night… check these videos for a taster.  We were all feeling fairly Irish!



"So what's this about now?", I hear you ask...

So all this to say: Yes I am preparing to start a choir in September.

Please sign up/ let me know if you’re interested.  It will e called “The Studio Voices” and will begin in September in Lisduggan, St Paul’s region of Waterford City.  For me, performance is key, so I want to commit to 4 mass appearances a year approximately and also a secular appearance with each season.  That means local festivals and concerts.


I want to focus on some parlour music, Irish traditional and popular song, which is a genre that blends very well with church music.  That’s the starting premise, but we will see who we have and what songs suit the people.  So it’s just a starting vision.   


And if all goes well, I’ll be back with my old class again next summer to get even better at this lark!!!

 
 
 

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