When Clarendon was a schoolboy, the Eton College Chapel could sometimes be a grey and dismal place, its unusual Gothic fan vaulting accepting the bored yawns of 600 boys. However, one day of the week of which this could not be said was Fridays, when the irrepressible Precentor (follow the links for an explanation) Ralph Allwood led congregational practice, preparing an unwieldy choir of 600 to sing their hearts out on the coming Sunday.
Clarendon had the pleasure to talk with Ralph last week, and we are pleased to report his enthusiasm is every bit as infectious as it was back in our schooldays, and his ideas about music and education every bit as insightful. We talked about music’s power to enhance the educations and the lives of young people, we talked about what traits were the most likely to lead to success, and we talked much more besides.
You can listen to the podcast here or watch it below:
These days Ralph is heavily involved in a couple of fantastic charities:
The Rodolfus Choral Foundation, where Ralph is Founding Artistic Director, offers children from all backgrounds the chance to join life changing choral courses and to sing with the Rodolfus Choir in some of the world’s most prestigious venues. When we talk about building the soft skills of self-confidence and team work, this is what we mean.
The Pimlico Musical Foundation, where Ralph is a founding trustee, brings choral music into state primary schools, allowing children of all faiths and backgrounds to benefit from the developmental power of choral music.
I would urge all of you to click on the links and, if you can, support these wonderful initiatives.
Photograph by Kazimierz Mendlik
