Hitting the High Notes; Florence P Rodolfus Course

Upper Sixth student Florence P enjoyed a seven-day musical adventure on the highly prestigious Rodolfus Choral Course at Selwyn College, Cambridge during the summer holiday. In this article, she explains what this wonderful experience involved. 

“I wanted to thank everyone for their support in helping me to attend the Rodolfus Choral Course in Cambridge this summer. It was the most amazing experience and one which I will never forget. There were so many lovely people involved with the course and I think I have made several friends for life. 

“It was hard work and very intense: rehearsals started at 8:45am every morning and it wasn’t uncommon for us still to be singing at 9:45pm in the evening. My routine of “sleep, eat, chapel, repeat” left me rather exhausted by the final day! During the week, we sang two Evensongs, one Compline Service and a final recital. We covered a wide range of repertoire, from the serene and beautiful Adoro Te Devote by Cecilia McDowell to Bach’s fast and furious motet, Der Geist Hilft. 

“The course was based at Selwyn College in the heart of Cambridge and the Compline Service, a service which is held in the evening, consisting mostly of plain chant and responses which ask God to watch over us while we sleep, took place in the College Chapel. It was conducted by our course director, Ralph Allwood. This was my first opportunity of singing such a service and it was an intensely moving experience. 

“Ralph Allwood is not only a truly inspiring person but also one of the most eccentric people I have ever met! There was never a dull moment when he was around, and his strong ideas and determination have meant that he has remained at the forefront of keeping the English choral tradition alive. His enthusiasm and passion are absolutely infectious. 

“My one-to-one singing teacher during the course was David Hurley, formerly a member of the King’s Singers. We struck it off immediately; he is a truly inspiring tutor! My personal highlight of the week was being chosen as one of the five people to sing in a masterclass for Iestyn Davies, the highly regarded countertenor, awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to music. For this very special event, I sang one of my favourite pieces, C by Poulenc. I was quite nervous, as everyone on the course attended the masterclass, even the tutors; thankfully all went well! I gleaned a great deal of insight from Iestyn, and I am so grateful to him for sharing his pearls of wisdom with me. 

“The two Evensongs were held in the chapels of King’s and St John’s Colleges. Daniel Hyde, Director of Music at King’s College, took our rehearsal and conducted the Service. Evensong at St John’s was directed by Christopher Gray and was recorded by the BBC for Radio 3. It was broadcast on Wednesday 27th September and a recording is available here:

“Both directors are fantastic musicians, and it was a real pleasure to sing for them and experience their different rehearsal techniques. It was also wonderful singing in such glorious venues, although I have to say, for all the famous splendour and magnificence of King’s College Chapel, St John’s was my favourite, simply because of the beautiful sound the building allowed the choir to create.  

“The course also provided many insights from experienced choral musicians: John Rutter was one such tutor, who rehearsed William Byrd’s glorious Ave Maria with us. Overall, I met some absolutely amazing people while at Cambridge, both staff and students. I was really touched that by the end of the course so many people showed such kind support, not only for my singing, but for my next steps in preparation for university. It was wonderful to get a sense of student life and experience what it would be like living in Cambridge. I had a wonderful time and I’m very grateful to everyone who has made this opportunity possible. It was a truly memorable time which will stay with me for a very long time!” 

Florence’s very special experience would not have been possible without the kind support of everyone at Great Malvern Priory, including the Great Malvern Priory Junior Choir, and the wider supporters of Luteweb at Malvern Priory, as well as the musical and wider community of the King’s Foundation.