October Update

It’s been quite a varied October here, planning and preparing various things. I built this website and the new website for the One Tree Hill Choir to start with. I then headed to Wales to make some new videos with Ed Picton-Turbervill and rehearse some new recital programmes. I’ve had regular sessions with Nicky Spence ready for more recordings next month. Dylan Perez and I are planning a recial series for early next year.

We did a large run of auditions for the London Youth Choir, and have now over 40 boys in the London Youth Boys’ Choir. We have been rehearsing several items from Ceremony of Carols.

In Kennington we have auditioned loads of new children and have now over 30 in our girls’ choir, over 20 in the boy’s choir and over 30 teenagers in our consort (but no tenors…). We’re working on Messiah now, ready for the Youth Messiah in the Albert Hall in December. We have plans to perform Beethoven at the Southbank Centre in April next year. We are planning a residency in Hereford Cathedral and also our Summer School in St. John’s Cambridge in July.

I’ve been conducting my regular choirs, at UBS, AON, One Tree Hill and the Royal Academy of Arts. We’re all linking up to sing Carmina Burana on 12th November.

I popped up to Snape Maltings in early October to run one of their Scratch Choir days, which was great fun and they are a lovely group of people up there.

I’m singing with the BBC Singers from tomorrow for their concert of Symphony of Psalms in the Barbican on Saturday.

I’ve had some nice meetings in the Essex area - one with Roman River Music about plans for the festival next year, and one with the University of Essex Choir about plans for the 2020-21 season, which I’m really excited about. I also had a lovely training day with the National Youth Choir GB with Greg Beardsell, which was informative and inspiring.

I’ve also launched my online tuition booking system, which has been really successful so far, so thanks to all my students who have taken to that without much fuss!

All this alongside trying to be a good husband, son, uncle, godfather and cat owner… Thank you to everyone for your support; stay in touch!

Ben

En route to sing at St. Paul’s in October

Kennington choristers sharing the peace at Mass in October