CHORUS OF APPROVAL
James White (Year 9) considers the variety of opportunities he and other students are given at the College, when it comes to the vocal arts
S inging is a wonderful thing. At the College, more than 100 students sing in a choir or band, or individually, thanks to the excellent schemes and programmes set up to encourage singing in all sorts of different ways. Every single student at the College will, by the time they leave, have sung in one context or another – maybe in a music lesson or at a class concert, in a Monday morning Chapel Assembly, or at Supersized House Singing in the summer. When I arrived at the College in September 2019, I was not a very strong singer. I lacked power, control and the ability to express emotions when singing. Over time, I have been taught to develop in these three areas. Now, I love singing and try to get involved in as many concerts and performances as possible, from the College of Rock to the yearly singing competition in the Old Library. I joined the school Madrigal Choir in Year 7. It was initial- ly quite intimidating, as there were so many more experi- enced singers than me. However, the friendly atmosphere in the group, from the young Year 3s to the Year 13 deep basses and baritones, was very welcoming. I have had some great experiences with this choir, including a number of performances at Cadogan Hall and South- wark Cathedral, where, most recently, we sang Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. One of my all-time favourite experiences was performing Gabriel Faure’s Requiem Singing is great for your mental health, as it releases dopamine and endorphins – the chemicals that make you feel happy
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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