Between the 12th and 19th of July this year, 23 members of Only Boys Aloud Academi came together for our annual Academi residential course held for the second time at Christ College Brecon. The College is situated right in the heart of Brecon town centre in sight of the beautiful Bannau Brycheiniog and is the perfect location for our Academi course.
The boys saw the music for the first time on that Sunday night and the repertoire list included music from many different genres such as traditional folk music from the British Isles – Scarbrough Fair, Loch Lomond and The Fields of Athenry – a couple of spirituals – Deep River and If I’ve Got My Ticket Can I Ride – some world music including a Tahitian Folk Song and Sivela Kwazulu and of course, some musical theatre numbers by Kander and Ebb and Stephen Sondheim.
As well as sectional rehearsal where the boys learn all the music, the boys received individual singing lessons, music theory lessons and took part in 2 composition workshops led by Nathan Dearden and Siôn Tomos Owen. As well as numerous trips to the ice cream shop opposite, the boys also had a quiz and cabaret evening which is always the highlight of the week!
The week culminated in a fantastic concert at the amazing Dora Stoutzker Theatre at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff on the last Sunday evening. The boys were delighted to be joined by opera star and Only Boys Aloud Alumnus, Emyr Wyn Jones and performed Robat Arwyn’s Anfonaf Angel and Deep River together. The concert ended with a well deserved standing ovation for everyone involved!
Well done and thank you to all the boys who took part in the week and a particular thank you to all the music and pastoral staff, the accompanist Rhiannon Pritchard, Director Christina Michelle Daniels and our very own Creative Director Craig Yates for all their hard work.
The Academi boys then travelled to the Netherlands for a concert tour! Find out more about the trip here.
