Ralph Allwood MBE (born 30 April 1950) is a British choral conductor, composer and teacher, who currently holds the appointment of Fellow Commoner advising in Music at Queens' College, Cambridge.[1] He was previously the Precentor and Director of Music at Eton College between 1985 and 2011.[2] He had previously headed the music departments at Pangbourne and Uppingham.[3]
Ralph Allwood | |
|---|---|
 Ralph Allwood 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 30 April 1950 |
| Occupation | Choral conductor |
| Spouse | Alastair Davey (married 2024 - present) [citation needed] |
During his time at Uppingham, he established choral courses, now known as Rodolfus Choral Courses, but formerly known as Uppingham Choral Courses and most recently Eton Choral Courses,[4] of which there are now seven a year. He also conducts the Rodolfus Choir, a critically acclaimed group of singers aged 16–25, drawn principally from these Choral Courses.[5]
Allwood is also the conductor of Inner Voices, a youth chamber choir based in London. Set up in 2011, the choir brings together great singers from a group of London state schools to sing music from across the genre boundaries under the direction of Allwood.[6]
Career
editAllwood was educated at Tiffin Boys' School[7] before studying music at Van Mildert College, Durham. He graduated in 1972.[8] Whilst at university, he conducted Durham University Chamber Choir between 1970 and 1972.[9]
Allwood implemented many changes to the Eton College Music Department after his arrival in 1985, including changes to the music lesson and scheduling system and doubling the size of the music schools.[citation needed] One important job was to select the Music Scholars and Exhibitioners for entry into the school in F Block. Allwood directed and ran the College Chapel Choir at Eton, and had been doing so since 1985. In 2009, he announced that he would be retiring from his post as Precentor and Director of Music in 2011.
He was replaced as Precentor at Eton by Tim Johnson, who was previously the director of music at Westminster School, in September 2011.[10]
In 2021 and 2022 he was director of music for several projects of the Self Isolation Choir (later Choir of the Earth), a virtual choir established during the COVID-19 pandemic. He conducted a series of ABBA songs in his own arrangements, led a project entitled "All Things Bright and Virtual" comprising eight hymns, rehearsed and recorded to the accompaniment of the organs of eight cathedrals or major churches,[11][12] and conducted his own new arrangement of "God Save the Queen" to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[13]
Honours
editHe was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours "for services to Choral Music".[14][15]
Allwood was awarded an honorary doctoral degree (DMus) from the University of Aberdeen in 2013.[16]
In 2017, he was awarded the Thomas Cranmer Award for Worship by the Archbishop of Canterbury "for services to choral music in the Church of England and especially for fostering musical education amongst disadvantaged children".[17]
He is an honorary fellow of University College, Durham.[18]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Mr Ralph Allwood MBE | Queens' College". Queens.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ "Eton Choral Courses". Ralphallwood.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ "Ralph Allwood". Signumrecords.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ "Alumni Association". The Rodolfus Foundation. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ "Ralph Allwood". Rodolfuschoir.co.uk. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ "About Us – Inner Voices". Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ "Ralph Allwood". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ "Dialogue Magazine - Issue 33". Issuu. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ "DU Chamber Choir". Durham University Library.
- ^ "Windsor & Eton Choral Society". www.w-ecs.org.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ "ABBA". The Self-Isolation Choir. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ "All Things Bright and Virtual". The Self-Isolation Choir. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ "God Save the Queen". Choir of the Earth. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "No. 60009". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2011. p. 13.
- ^ "Ralph Allwood awarded an MBE | Latest News". Rodolfuschoir.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ University of Aberdeen: Honorary Music Graduates, online resource accessed 1 July 2017
- ^ "The Archbishop of Canterbury's Awards: Citations in Alphabetical Order" (PDF). Archbishop of Canterbury. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
- ^ "Ralph Allwood". ralphallwood.com. Retrieved 5 March 2021.