The Junior Choral Course is now an established feature of the musical year, taking place in Cheltenham during the Easter holidays, under the musical direction of Ralph Allwood and Martyn Ford, and under the auspices of the Rodolfus Choir Limited.
Ralph Allwood has been leading choral courses for young people for many years, most notably the highly-acclaimed Eton Choral Courses which he founded in 1985. These courses, of which seven are now held each year, provide a uniquely vibrant vocal training and choral experience to enthusiastic young singers aged between 16 and 20.
He founded the Rodolfus Choir in 1984 as a chamber choir all of whose young adult members have come through the Eton Choral Courses. The choir's many performances and recordings, the last four with Signum, have gained widespread critical praise. He found that many asked about a course for younger singers, and that is why Martyn Ford and he founded The Junior Choral Course.
Martyn Ford has many years of experience as a choir trainer. As a Director of Music in a preparatory school, as Musical Director of the IAPS Choral Courses and as Musical Director of the Berkshire Boys' Choir he has particular expertise working with the age-group for whom The Junior Choral Course is designed. His understanding of children of this age and the particular requirements of their young voices enables him to conduct energetic, entertaining rehearsals and produce performances of a consistently high standard.
As well as coaching consort-group singing and sight-reading on The Eton Choral Courses for the last twenty years, Martyn conducts the Morland Choristers' Camp each year and has worked as Musical Director and vocal coach for the National Youth Music Theatre.
The two factors which set The Junior Choral Course apart are that the staff are almost all singers, and that the young singers are joined by altos, tenors and basses to enable them to sing some of the great choral repertoire alongside good music written for upper voices. The proof of the success of the course lies in the large number of last year's participants who are keen to return this year.