BRITISH CHORAL INSTITUTE

(Director: Dr. Roy Wales)

The British Choral Institute was established in 1993.  Since its inception it has organised an International Youth Choral Festival and five major International Choral Summer Schools.  In addition, it has been responsible for arranging many successful day-long or weekend choral workshop sessions, some jointly with the Association of British Choral Directors, in venues throughout the country.

For the past eight years the British Choral Institute has linked up with West Dean College in Chichester (www.westdean.org.uk) to present  ‘Choral Singing for Enjoyment’ weekends or days on various themes, including African Music, French Choral Music, the Music of John Rutter and English and European Choral Classics.  This year’s course will run from June 25-27 with a theme of “100 Years of English Choral Music”. For the past 11 years it has also run a very popular annual Choral Study/Performance Workshop Weekend in the beautiful village of Alfriston, E. Sussex, focusing on major works in the choral repertoire, including Tippett’s A Child of our Time, Britten’s War Requiem, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise and Elijah, Belshazzar’s Feast (Walton), The Dream of Gerontius (Elgar), Verdi’s Requiem, Israel in Egypt (Handel), The Creation (Haydn) and St. Matthew Passion and B Minor Mass (Bach), all under the direction of Roy Wales.

The British Choral Institute has offered a number of study scholarships in association with the British Council to many young choir conductors from various African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and South Africa, to study in England.  Its international work has also included organising concert and study tours to the UK for choirs and orchestras from Denmark, Hungary, USA, Israel and Australia.
(www.britishchoralinstitute.co.uk)