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 Hesus 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 is Chair of the Choral Evensong Trust.

Adult Choral Course, Rodolfus Foundation

Come and join us for our first ever Rodolfus Foundation Choral Course for adults of all ages as we explore some of the best liturgical music under the expert direction of three inspirational choral directors – Ralph Allwood MBE, John Rutter CBE and Ben Parry.

You’ll sing services at Holy Sepulchre, The National Musicians' Church in Holborn and Old Royal Naval College Chapel in Greenwich. Rehearsals will be hosted at St Gabriel's Church in Pimlico and the Garry Weston Library within Southwark Cathedral. There are no auditions but some choral singing experience is helpful. Music can be sent out before the course.

Thursday 13th April - Sunday 16th April, 2023

London

Apply Here

Junior Choral Course 1, Rodolfus Foundation

The Junior Choral Courses offer unique opportunities to children aged 8 - 15 to experience choral singing at a very high level. The course staff are all accomplished singers, and their voices join the young people to enable them to sing some of the great choral repertoire for four voices alongside excellent music written for the students’ higher voices.

Friday 21st July to Thursday 27th July, 2023

Cheltenham College

Apply Here

Choral Course 2, Rodolfus Foundation 

The Choral Courses are for singers aged between 16 - 21, many of who are considering University and other Choral Scholarships, but it is by no means a requirement and we welcome singers who just enjoy choral singing and want to improve.

The main focus of each Choral Course is the choir made up of all participants, which prepares for three main performances or choral evensongs. Preparation for choral scholarships and advice on singing beyond school is given a high priority and there are sessions in sight-reading, aural tests and performance, alongside vocal master-classes, a cappella workshops and sessions with visiting conductors.

Monday 7th August - Monday 14th August, 2023

Cambridge

Apply Here

Choral Course 4, Rodolfus Foundation

The Choral Courses are for singers aged between 16 - 21, many of who are considering University and other Choral Scholarships, but it is by no means a requirement and we welcome singers who just enjoy choral singing and want to improve.

The main focus of each Choral Course is the choir made up of all participants, which prepares for three main performances or choral evensongs. Preparation for choral scholarships and advice on singing beyond school is given a high priority and there are sessions in sight-reading, aural tests and performance, alongside vocal master-classes, a cappella workshops and sessions with visiting conductors.

Saturday 19th August - Saturday 26th August 2023

Oxford

Apply Here

Brandenburg Choral Cruise

Ralph will be setting sail on a choral cruise through the Fjords in August. You may have been to a number of choral concerts hosted by Brandenburg over the years. Their choral cruise will have a similarly high quality of music and organisation. Repertoire isn’t yet decided. Ralph is open to suggestions and demands!

Register your interest by emailing:

bob@brandenburg.org.uk quoting the code RALPH.

30th August - 7th September

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

Ralph Allwood speaks to Chris Gunness about the joys of working with young people and of keeping alive the English choral tradition.

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

Ralph and Jonathan talk about his time at Eton as well as his work with at-risk youth in Pimlico, London. All musical excerpts are of the Rodolfus Choir under the direction of Ralph Allwood.

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.

Roderick Williams :
Sacred Choral Works, 2017

Rodolfus Choir :
Time and Its Passing, 2015

Katherine Jenkins with Rodolfus Choir :  Sacred Arias, 2008

Eton College Chapel Choir : Hear My Words, 2008