A slightly different, and innovative approach to coaching singers at Bailey Concert Singers’ Symposium

Then in the afternoon, two quartets of soloists were coached together in the Benedictus from Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai, and the final movement from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and the day finished with a panel discussion between Lunn, Connolly, Padmore and Williams, where they shared advice and experiences about concert and oratorio performance.

Roderick Williams coaching baritones Jonathan Eyers & Peter Brooks at the Bailey Concert Singers Symposium

I went along for the afternoon, and caught, Sofia Kirwan-Baez, Daisy Mitchell, Matthew Cooke and Peter Brooks being coached by Joanne Lunn in the Haydn, accompanied by William Vann, and Susie Gibbons, Daisy Mitchell, Sam Kibble and Jonathan Eyers being coached by Roderick Williams in the Beethoven, accompanied by Richard Black.

Haydn’s mass is a relatively early one, and the Benedictus is a real ensemble and it was fascinating watching Joanne Lunn coaching the four young singers. They had never sung together before, thus reproducing the sort of situation that can occur on the concert platform, and I enjoyed hearing how Lunn discussed the detail and practicalities of the performance. 

For the Beethoven, Roderick Williams began by asking the question whether the singers were an ensemble or four individual soloists and his coaching explored this dichotomy. The other distinguished singers were also present in the audience and at times the coaching developed into a fascinating and informative dialogue. This continued in the panel discussion, moderated by Roderick Williams. For a professional listener, this was illuminating and fascinating, and all four singers brought a wealth of practical information to the discussions, along with personal anecdotes and a great deal of humour.

Joanne Lunn coaching, with William Vann at the piano, at the Bailey Concert Singers Symposium

The idea of coaching a quartet of singers as an ensemble seems such a obvious idea and my experience of BCSS seemed to show that it was both illuminative and informative.