An all day "Come-and-Sing" choral workshop involving staff and students from the university was held on Saturday 24th January in the MacRobert Building Lecture Theatre. An element of community outreach was also an important facet of the event, since nearly half of the 50 participants were 'guest' singers from choirs outwith the University.
The musical director and choral coach on this occasion was Ralph Allwood, who until September 2011, was Precentor and Director of Music at Eton College in the UK. He is a renowned choral conductor and visits many different countries around the world (he was also recently seen as a judge on BBC TV’s “The Choir”).
The music being explored was that most loved of choral works, Handel’s Messiah, celebrated equally by choirs of all levels and by experts applauding the skill and inventiveness of the musical writing. Those taking part in the workshop were treated not only to a superb full day of singing and learning about the music, but also to a wealth of humour and anecdotes involving many famous musicians from the past 50 years - much laughter was heard interspersed with the singing! In the end, the day seemed all too short, but none of those present will have had any doubts that as an educational, cultural, social and musical event in the university, it had excelled.
A resounding success: Handel's Messiah under Ralph Allwood MBE