Sunday

Delegates are invited as participating conductors, singers, and observers to a masterclass session led by renowned performer and teacher, Sarah Tenant-Flowers. Up to 3 conductors will direct fellow delegates and receive practical feedback and suggestions for developing singer-friendly gestures which get the best out of your choirs, as well as enhancing technique, clarity, relevance and communication skills. If you would like to take part as a volunteer conductor, please register your interest by contacting Elisabeth Brierley. The masterclass is aimed at Intermediate/Advanced level, so please provide a very brief summary of your experience to date and any issues with which you would like particular help. Conductors will be asked to select a piece to work on from a shortlist from OUP's Carols for Choirs Six.

In the fourth of our repertoire discovery sessions, discover new music written and self-published by our member and exhibitor composers for youth and adult choirs of all kinds. In most cases the composers will introduce the pieces themselves, so this is a lovely way to explore new music directly with its composer.

*EDUCATION*  Join Rebecca Ledgard and Gemma King from Ex Cathedra’s Education and Participation team, as they share behind the scenes material from their award winning ChoirMaker project. The session will explore how to engage young people in singing through user friendly warm up activities and engaging repertoire, created and arranged by the Ex Cathedra team, with young voices in mind. Through the online ChoirMaker project, there are resources for teachers and students to develop conducting skills, learn how to effectively add percussion and supportive accompaniment to performances.

 A useful and relevant session for all choral leaders who wish to explore music by women composers. abcd's Director of Training Amy Bebbington will introduce you to a variety of repertoire to inspire you to diversify your choral programmes. A wide range of musical styles will be covered, from Renaissance to present day and for all types of choir. Each piece and composer will be introduced before singing the music, allowing participants to discover some wonderful repertoire by women composers from around the world.

Using simple songs and warm-up material Nav will explore teaching and rehearsing approaches that increase rehearsal efficiency and reduce the pressure on vocal leaders. Our role as 'leader', if re-framed to be 'collaborator', enhances ownership in our vocal groups which results in faster, more committed music making and greater buy-in to every music making opportunity. Nav Arles is an inspirational vocal leader directing diverse singing groups of all ages and abilities, including youth choirs and choirs in prisons; he is founder director of MDBrunch.

*EDUCATION*  This practical session focuses on strategies for delivering efficient and engaging rehearsals. Learn how to get from warm-up to confident multi-part singing quickly, without cutting corners, using basic conducting gestures, non-verbal communication and solfa hand signs,mapping your gestures onto your choir to enhance the ongoing development of your singers. This session is appropriate for teachers and conductors at all levels, either as an introduction or refresher. James Davey is an abcd tutor and one of the UK's most distinguished and respected choral directors, in demand for his work as conductor, choir trainer, arranger and adjudicator.

Finish your weekend in rousing style with a sing led by composer and conductor Will Todd of some of his latest music. Will's work encompasses a wide range of musical styles - from jazz to contemporary liturgical music, opera, musical theatre and orchestral music.  

Will is perhaps best known for his choral works, which range from large scale oratorios such as Ode to a Nightingale to smaller classic choral pieces. His anthem, The Call of Wisdom, was performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations; his breakthrough work, Mass in Blue has been performed hundreds of times all over the world. His arrangement of Amazing Grace was performed at President Obama’s Inauguration Day prayer service in 2013 and as part of the BBC’s Nelson Mandela Thanksgiving Service.