Sixth Form pupil at King’s College Taunton has secured a gap year at Sherborne School as a Choral Scholar. Following his A-levels, Liam A will join the Music School to perform a range of duties and become a member of the Sherborne Abbey Choir.
Liam A’s gap year will be busy and full as music as he joins Sherborne as a Choral Scholar. Sherborne is regarded by many as one of the country’s best independent schools for music and they enjoy an outstanding reputation for developing young talent.
During Liam’s tenure, his duties will include record-keeping for music lesson absences, collecting pupils for music lessons, setting up rehearsals in terms of chairs, stands and putting out music. The day is divided into four with a Choral/Organ Scholar taking responsibility for at least a quarter of the day. Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass Choral Scholars (and the Organ Scholar) are expected to be good sight-readers as the repertoire of both choirs is wide, and varied and in both cases rehearsal time is limited.
For the interview, candidates were asked to prepare two contrasting songs and they had time with an accompanist to prepare their performances ahead of the audition. There was an element of sight-reading taken from a canticle or an anthem and they were asked to sing a few verses of a psalm.
Liam said: “The Sherborne Choral Scholarship will enhance my musical abilities and allow me to learn universal life skills. I had to submit a formal application with my extensive musical background and everything I’ve done in my life that would prepare me for this job. I’ll be doing loads of what I love, which is music, and I can also focus on other musical aspects like piano and organ whilst I’m there. I also have another role which is to sing in the Sherborne Abbey choir at all their services, including Christmas and Easter.”
It is usual that successful Choral Scholars are drawn from those singing with courses such as the Rodolfus Choral Course, Eton and who will go on to sing as choral scholars at Oxford and Cambridge Colleges, or other similar universities and colleges. Previous Sherborne Choral Scholars are currently holding scholarships at Christ Church, Oxford, Clare College and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, Royal Holloway College, London, and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
The music department at King’s College is busy and vibrant with opportunities for everyone to get involved in numerous musical activities. The school offers GCSE music, and both music and music technology at A-level, and many students have progressed to read music at university. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the musical life at King’s, whether that’s in weekly sung services in the school chapel, the RocSoc, Big Fun Choir, Big Band or the newly established King’s School Symphony Orchestra and chamber music programme.
To find out more about music at King’s, please visit www.kings-taunton.co.uk.