This week, it was wonderful to welcome award-winning tenor and opera singer, Allan Clayton (H 91-99) as the newest member of the Barnabas Group. Allan was Head Chorister at King’s and he also enjoyed being managing director of the Young Enterprise team and playing rugby and football. On leaving King’s, Allan studied at St John’s College, Cambridge and then at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

An Associate of the Royal Academy of Music and former BBC New Generation Artist from 2007-2009, Allan’s awards include “The Queen’s Commendation for Excellence” and a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship. Allan garnered huge praise as the lead role in Brett Dean’s Hamlet, which had its world premiere at Glyndebourne in June 2017. This performance gained rave reviews and saw Allan win several prizes and accolades including the 2018 Whatsonstage Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera. Allan’s awards are many, and recently they include 2018 Royal Philharmonic Society Singer Award and Best Male Performer in Australia’s prestigious Helpmann Awards.  Allan was very warmly received here at King’s, treating us to an address in College Hall Assembly, a master class for U6 singers as well as an awe-inspiring recital for staff and students.