Ralph Allwood MBE DMus was for 26 years Director of Music at Eton College and is now a freelance choral director, teacher and conductor. He is the Director of the Rodolfus (ex-Eton) Choral Courses, which he founded in 1980. He co-founded the Junior Choral Courses in 2012. Ten thousand 8 to 20 year-olds have since been students on courses. In recent years he has launched courses in Texas, Shanghai and Shenzhen. The Rodolfus choir has produced over 20 CDs since he founded it in 1982.
Ralph is co-founder and conductor of Inner Voices, made up of singers from state schools in London. He is also a Supervisor for harmony at Jesus College, Cambridge, Director of the only conservatoire chapel choir in the world, the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir and an Honorary Fellow of University College, Durham.
Ralph has conducted choirs for over 40 broadcasts for BBC Radio 3. He has composed much music for Extreme Music Ltd, heard worldwide on radio, films and television. He teaches at his old grammar school, Tiffin and is a co-founder of the National Youth Music Theatre.
In 2015 he co-founded the Pimlico Musical Foundation to enable children from Pimlico Primary Schools to sing in choirs, particularly at St Gabriel's Church.
In 2017, the Archbishop of Canterbury presented him with the Thomas Cranmer Award for Music and Worship and. He is Chair of the Choral Evensong Trust.
Ralph is co-founder and conductor of Inner Voices, made up of singers from state schools in London. He is also a Supervisor for harmony at Jesus College, Cambridge, Director of the only conservatoire chapel choir in the world, the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir and an Honorary Fellow of University College, Durham.
Ralph has conducted choirs for over 40 broadcasts for BBC Radio 3. He has composed much music for Extreme Music Ltd, heard worldwide on radio, films and television. He teaches at his old grammar school, Tiffin and is a co-founder of the National Youth Music Theatre.
In 2015 he co-founded the Pimlico Musical Foundation to enable children from Pimlico Primary Schools to sing in choirs, particularly at St Gabriel's Church.
In 2017, the Archbishop of Canterbury presented him with the Thomas Cranmer Award for Music and Worship and. He is Chair of the Choral Evensong Trust.
Events
BBC Radio 3, Choral Evensong
Ralph Allwood conducts the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir for a live broadcast of Choral Evensong.
Conductor: Ralph Allwood
Organist: Jonathan Eyre
4th October, 15:30 - 16:30
Old Royal Naval College Chapel, Greenwich, SE10 9LW
Preparing for Evensong
A singing workship with Ralph Allwood in St Mary's Church Swanage. Ralph comes to Swanage to lead a very special workshop for singers of all ages who would like to prepare for a Choral Evensong. Ralph will teach vocal technique and everything you need to know about singing evensong.
Introit: Locus Iste - Bruckner
Responses: Byrd
Canticles: Stanford in C
Anthems: Geistliches Lied - Brahms, Ave Maria - Lindley
Tickets are £15 for adults; £10 for students; £5 for children. Booking forms are available form the Parish Office via email: swanage.team@btconnect.com
Register your interest by emailing: swanage.team@btconnect.com
23rd September, 10:00 - 17:15
St Mary's Church, Swanage, BH19 1HU
New Year's Eve Concert at Douai Abbey
The Rodolfus Choir return for their traditional New Year’s Eve concert at Douai Abbey. Conductors Ralph Allwood and Elinor Cooper.
Programme to be announced.
https://www.therodolfusfoundation.org.uk/events/2023/12/31/new-years-eve-concert-at-douai-abbey
31st December, 15:00 - 16:30
Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton, RG7 5TQ
Weekly Commitments
Sunday: Eucharist Service, Old Royal Naval College, 11:00AM
Monday: Choral Evensong, Old Royal Naval College, 5:30PM Wednesday: Choral Evensong with the Pimlico Musical Foundation, St Gabriel’s Church Pimlico, 5:30PM
View Past Events
Press
Classic FM : Virtual Choral Evensong
Choristers join Stephen Fry and Alexander Armstrong for virtual choral Evensong service. The timeless church service to soothe the nation and support singers during COVID-19 lockdown.
Read here.
Music Plus Podcast
Listen here.
Independent : “We can have a choir as good as Eton's”
Inner Voices brings together musically gifted singers from inner-city London schools to perform in some of the country's top venues. Alice Jones learns how the ambitious project came about – and hears the remarkable results.
Read here.
Texas State Choirs Today Podcast
Listen here.
Talking Classical Podcast![]()
Annabelle Lee discusses choral directing and music teacher with Ralph Allwood. This episode covers the orgings of the Rodolfus choir, choral courses, and the more recent Pimlico Musical Foundation.
Listern here.
Compositions
Ralph has been a composer for Extreme Music since 1997 providing for film and TV worldwide, chiefly Europe and America and is now represented by Pretty Decent Music. He has been score writer and choir director for several commercials.
- The Holly and the Ivy - (Sheet Music)
- Sweet Was the Song - (Sheet Music)
- Over the Hills - (Sheet Music)
- Ding Dong Merrily on High - (Sheet Music)
- The Gift - (Sheet Music)
- Interlude:Cascades - (Sheet Music)
Recordings
Roderick Williams :
Sacred Choral Works, 2017![]()
Sacred Choral Works, 2017
Rodolfus Choir :
Time and Its Passing, 2015![]()
Time and Its Passing, 2015
Katherine Jenkins with Rodolfus Choir :
Sacred Arias, 2008
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Eton College Chapel Choir :
Hear My Words, 2008
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Arrangements
- J. Pierpont: Jingle Bells: Arr. Ralph Allwood: SATB
- F. Schubert: An Die Musik: Arr. Ralph Allwood: SATB
- By Special Arrangment, Choral Arrangements of Favourite Classics: SATB
- Tchaikovsky: Danse De La Fée-Dragée: Arr. Ralph Allwood and Leo Hussain: SATB
- ABBA: Five ABBA Hits: Arr. Ralph Allwood and Lora Sansun: SSA
- J. Hopkins Jr: We Three Kings: Arr. Ralph Allwood: SATB
Gallery
