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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

choral scholarships at Oxbridge?

63 replies

roisin · 07/01/2015 08:38

Have you been down this application route with dc? Successful or not?
ds2 is considering it as a possibility. He's in yr11 now.

OP posts:

GentlyBenevolent · 20/01/2015 13:25

To be fair, the snotty people have been snotty about all types of singing exams. Of course, they are being snotty from a position of complete ignorance...

Aftershock15 · 19/04/2017 14:26

I know this is an old thread but hope that one of the previous posters will see it and come back to advise. I have a ds going to the Oxford choral open day this Saturday. They have just sent him the details and says each person can bring one parent. We had assumed he would go alone and it's now quite awkward for one of us to take him. So if your dc did this were all the other children with parents? He's fairly confident and a good choir singer, although has never done voice exams, so maybe it's going to go no further than the open day, but I don't want him he only one alone, but I understand the application arrangements and don't really want to spend Saturday in Oxford just meeting him to eat.

fiddlefaddleoh · 19/04/2017 17:29

AfterShock15,

Both my sons have been to choral open days on their own, and both also went to one of the Queen's College (Oxford) special choir days - and again went on their own. It might have been nice for me to have been able to go and see what it was all about, but there didn't seem to be any need at all. They went with friends who were also interested in choral awards, and generally had a fun day.

Certainly the children didn't seem to have missed me.

Aftershock15 · 19/04/2017 17:51

Thank you. That's what I needed to hear so I can get over the guilt. l'm sure he will have a fun day.

bojorojo · 19/04/2017 20:35

You can also visit other colleges on the Oxford Open days and speak to their Choir Masters. Queens is the big one but hugely competitive. Other colleges are worth looking at if your DS is interested.

I wonder if Roisin's DS got anywhere?

JanetBrown2015 · 20/04/2017 14:32

Good luck. I did loads of singing at university but didn't have a choral scholarship and didn't try (probably should have done but no one suggested it at school) (I had 4 grade 8s including singing and perfect pitch).

It can be quite a commitment so do make sure you know what is involved.

If those on the thread don't get the scholarship the teenager can still do a lot of singing at university so it's certainly not the end of the world for singing. I sing every day even now.

Parents? the last 2 of my 5 children are giong to university this autumn and I have never been to a single university open day or visit with them actually. They are adults.

tropicalfish · 21/04/2017 21:28

Does anyone know if the college sponsor their tours for choral scholars and volunteers ? How this works as DD is thinking that being a volunteer means she has less of a commitment timewise with fewer responsibilities however this may mean she gets fewer privileges.
thanks

LettuceMash · 22/04/2017 15:09

I've nced but I'm sure Roisin s DC is at Oxbridge now.

Very helpful thread.

LettuceMash · 22/04/2017 15:10

Actually, maybe I'm thinking of someone else, as I think he wouldn't be old enough.

goodbyestranger · 22/04/2017 15:16

DS's girlfriend has just gone on a tour which was sponsored for the most part but involved a very modest top up from the students themselves (very modest, in the context).

bojo curious as to why you say Queen's is the big one?

goodbyestranger · 22/04/2017 15:19

Although to be clear I should say that a sponsor sponsored, not the college itself.

bojorojo · 22/04/2017 18:36

Queens appeared to attract a large number of highly talented young people and their audition and selection process was challenging. Other colleges seem to be a bit more relaxed and have fewer applicants. There seemed to be greater kudos attached to Queens and I know some prestigious schools go in that direction. Queens certainly has the pick of the best, ex choristers for example. When applying for a choral scholarship it is worth visiting the other colleges that offer the scholarships and chatting to them. I think the open day at Queens tends to funnel students towards them and it is highly competitive as a result.

Fifthtimelucky · 14/05/2017 18:58

My daughter currently has a choral award at Oxford. She loves it. It's a bIg commitment (3 services a week plus various other special services and concerts) but lots of perks (free dinner after each service, free singing lessons and £300 a year plus free or nearly free tours. Last year we paid £50 for a week in the US. Trips to Europe have been free. Plus she has great social life and great music! She didn't do the open day, just applied for the audition.

There is a website that tells you how many vacancies each choir will have in the coming year. Not all colleges participate in the central scheme, however. For some you apply in your first week there. I get the impression that the better choirs audition first and take their pick. We shortlisted the colleges that had the most vacancies, then she looked round the top 3 at the July open day. For mixed choirs it was Queen's, Merton and Worcester. Boys had more choice! She didn't like one, liked the second and fell in love with the third so she applied there. She didn't end up with an academic offer from that college but they kept her for the choir and she had an a academic offer from one of the other colleges which has its own choir but doesn't participate in the general scheme. There are a number of others in that position in the choir so she doesn't feel left out of anything.

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