Spring / Summer 2026 music thread

@herbaceous im sure you’ve checked but is it actually the case that history of art is more competitive? I’d have thought it was similar to music in the sense that it’s not an option for the vast majority of state school students and so generally a much smaller pool of applicants?

In any case though I think the Cambridge music degree is incredibly broad and flexible unless it has changed dramatically since DH did it. He focused on composition and performance but wrote a dissertation about music in a specific director’s films. I had a couple of friends who were really into music history and attended history faculty lectures and another (now an academic in a university science faculty) whose dissertation was more of an aural science experiment (lsomething to do with whether musicians’ sound perception was different from non-musicians’). I think it’s a really great programme personally. Though there are a lot of compulsory modules in first year, which some find tough.

Prompted by his comments I looked up what the modules actually were - something he hadn’t managed to find - and the Cambridge course at least has loads of history, anthropology, philosophy etc attached. The examples of students research project were really broad, too.

I will keep at it!

Of course he could do dual honours somewhere, but he’s worried that it would be seen as a ‘lesser’ degree.

I only did academic music for two years as part of my undergraduate but there was certainly a lot of history involved. Can he look at the course modules and the interests of the professors to get an idea of what he would be doing. I wonder if school pupils can't imagine doing one subject as they think it would be like school, but the subjects at uni are much wider.

Hello all

Just a bit of musing here...

DS is in y12, so deciding on universities and degree subjects. He'd really love to be a choral scholar at Oxbridge, and after a day at St Johns became convinced that's what he wants to do. At that point he decided to study music, partly as it's easier to get in to study music than other humanities subjects.

I was pleased by this outcome, as music has been his constant interest over the years, he's very good at it, predicted A* at A level, and you can 'hang' a lot of other subjects from it - politics, philosophy, history etc. He'd stand a good chance of getting into Cambridge I reckon, with his aptitude and all his extra curricular stuff he does.

The other day he came home from school, saying he's no longer sure, as if he studied music and was a music scholar there'd be no room for thinking of anything else, and perhaps he'll do history of art instead. A subject he's shown no real interest in until now. And a subject that's harder to get into, and he has no extra-curricular experience in.

Hoping he'll change his mind back again, but wondered if anyone had any thoughts...

Just want to wave at the lurker on this thread whose DD was also on tour in Bolivia......

Yes @herbaceous this is Southwark Cathedral in London and DS is at a normal state school 45 mins away, so 3 x a week is more than enough (indeed, may be too much for him - will have to see!).

They have increased the number of services the girls are doing so in fact won’t be every Sunday - probably 3/4 - which Im
pleased about. He does enjoy it but definitely prefers violin and football!

Of course. DS’s cathedral has half the services done by girls, and the grown ups did Mondays. They didn’t get paid either, other than in the form of reduced school fees!

I guess when there’s a school attached to the cathedral morning rehearsals etc are logistically easier.

Different cathedrals have different patterns for choristers and this DC is at a cathedral that doesn't have a choir school and pays a pittance - my DC got 55p an hour not very long ago. Also the girls do half the weekly services and the lay clerks do one on their own.

That seems a very light rehearsal schedule! Seem to remember DS had morning rehearsals every day, and four or five after school or weekends. Plus four or five services.

I hope he enjoys it as much as the chorister in our house! It's a good time of year to increase it, while the days are longer and lighter and you don't have advent/Christmas/Easter to contend with right away. I think DS sailed through his first term as a full chorister on pure excitement tbh!

That actually cheers me greatly @BBLY because mine all seem to coast along similarly. Good to know others manage to make this approach work!

Son has been at rcmjd since he was 8, so we are in our 7th year. He really enjoys it, but he’s not like lots of DCs on here that seem to devote lots of time on music, he seems to coasting through with minimal practice, so I’m not sure if our experience is that helpful 😅 but feel free to get in touch if you would like to know anything more.

Brilliant @Siriusmuggle - hope it leads to much more.

On the rather less glittering end of the brass scale, grade 3 euphonium booked and accompanist (brother) procured. No going back now. I'm going for face-to-face - figured if a thing is worth doing I may as well do it the old fashioned way. Will probably run out of breath in a panic.

brilliant @Siriusmuggle - what a great opportunity- fingers crossed for him that it leads to more (and great on the cv even if it doesn’t)

@Compsearch he loved it! No feedback as yet as he hasn’t seen his tutor. Just really hoping that it leads to more.

Gosh @Londonmummy66- that sounds exciting! Dd has had to withdraw from her summer music tour as she’s made it to a (non-music) international competition which clashes but which she can’t turn down.

dd has (I think) g8 piano and g7 voice happening towards the end of the summer term.

Good luck to everyone with the exams, especially @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - terrifying stuff as an adult! And @Siriusmuggle what a huge milestone! How did his professional work go?

No exams here (still!). DS starts his full schedule of choir rehearsals this term (now 3x per week!) in prep for being a full chorister from September - I’m a bit apprehensive as to how he’ll cope with it. He’s a funny one as generally complains about all his activities beforehand but then adores them while he’s doing them and refuses to give anything up, so I find it very hard to judge!

We have final degree recital coming up here. scary stuff.

Sometimes a bit of pressure is helpful! No abrsm exams but first conservatoire repertoire exam and an NYO video to make. Lovely concert at the weekend too. A wee break now to get school exams done, then some nice end of term concerts.

That’s amazing @Londonmummy66what an experience for her!

Good luck with your exam prep @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest Are you doing the practical or performance exam? I’m preparing for a piano performance exam but I haven’t been able to squeeze in any lessons lately so I’m stuck in a holding pattern at the moment.

@Londonmummy66 what an adventure! I love bolivia - very high up though - will be hard work for the wind players for sure.

@StuntNun . me! I'm finally booking my grade 3 euphonium. Am I ready? No. Am I terrified? Yes. But we will see.

DD2 also has a bassoon diploma and prob grade 6 piano digital - but she is very aware that it is MY exam that really mattters!

DD1 is on tour in Bolivia - sent me a video of the alternative transport when the tour bus broke down - they're all crammed in the back of a flat back truck.....

I just booked my DS in for his grade 6 piano exam. I’m not sure he’s quite ready for it as it’s only a year since he did grade 5, but he wanted to get it done before he finished year 8. Who else is preparing for exams this summer?

Just posting this in case of interest to anyone - looks brilliant!

https://www.rbo.org.uk/learning/young-people/youth-opera-company

I think my DS has enough singing in his life atm as a chorister, and would only be eligible for the introductory group at this point, but might consider it for next year.

Thank you - that's great to know, particular the positive atmosphere.