Photo credit: Ben Tomlin

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On a sunny Wednesday morning, I took the train into central London for a full day of singing and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music. As part of our Emerging Professional Artists programme, we were offered the opportunity to take part in a masterclass led by Patrick Russill, Head of Choral Conducting, and Esther Jones, conductor and Royal Academy of Music Tutor. I spend a lot of my time conducting youth choirs, so I was looking forward to a day dedicated to taking a step back and reflecting on my practice.

It was lovely to walk into the rehearsal hall and be reunited with my fellow EPAs, but also meet some of the RAM students who would also be taking part. At this point I felt a mix of excitement and nerves as I knew my time on the podium was coming!

Photo credit: Ruth Evans

Photo credit: Ruth Evans

The morning session involved RAM choral conducting students conducting the rest of us, while they sat in the hot seat and received feedback, from Esther, on their rehearsal technique. It was nice to see that a few of the pieces were by National Youth Choir Young Composers such as Jamie Powe and Will Harmer. They were all great pieces to explore - Sing We At Pleasure by Will Harmer, in particular, was a fun and lively piece to sing (and clap!) along to. It was inspiring to watch the RAM students’ process but also see their rehearsal technique improve so quickly after taking on feedback from Esther. It reminded me that, no matter how skilled we are, there’s always room for growth. 

After eating lunch out in the sun, it was time to head back in for our afternoon session. We started out by receiving a mini conducting workshop from the RAM students. This was a good refresher on things like posture, gesture, how we use our breath, and what a conductor’s role is.

This led nicely into podium time! We had 20 minutes each, to conduct a piece and receive instruction from Patrick. I chose to conduct the piece O Radiant Dawn by James MacMillan. I like how dramatic this piece is, and how it gave me an opportunity to work on both sudden and gradual changes in dynamics. 

Once I got going, the nerves began to fade and I was able to take in the beautiful singing I was hearing in the room. Patrick was a very encouraging instructor and it was a supportive learning environment overall.

I learned the importance of efficiency when conducting - only giving the choir information they need by making my gestures clear and intentional. I was also encouraged to take some creative chances in shaping the sound according to my interpretation. It was pointed out that I had done that intuitively without realising it - for example, slowing down just before the piece hits a big forte moment, for dramatic effect - but just needed to own it! 

This masterclass helped me refine my gestures and pay attention to details in the music, but my biggest takeaway was to trust your musical instincts when it comes to conducting. The information on the page is important, but the way the music comes alive in the room and how you tell that story is what will make both the singers and audience watching truly connect with the piece.

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