On Tuesday 21 March, we welcomed our new Vocal Music Fellow, Paul Phoenix, who enjoyed a busy day at school meeting our singers from across the Prep and Upper Schools. The day was divided between workshops with individuals and small groups, as well as larger groups including the Y4 singers, the Consort Choir (a joint chamber choir with Bedford Girls’ School) and, of course, the Chapel Choir.
It was not Paul’s first visit to Bedford School – he has been here a number of times before, on one occasion judging House Singing for us – but it was the first time he has come along in his new role of Vocal Music Fellow. He brought with him a wealth of vocal experience and insight, and the boys were both impressed and inspired by his energy and drive to achieve great results.
During their lunchtime rehearsal, Paul listened to the full Chapel Choir rehearse a setting of Psalm 104 by Estonian composer Cyrillus Kreek, an a cappella piece, conducted by choir master Mr Keith Roberts. Paul gave some great advice to the boys, reminding them to keep listening to each other, and to tune the chords to each other, in order to avoid a visit from “the Intonation Police”! The melody in the piece moves from one section of the choir to another, so “if you can’t hear the tune, you’re singing too loud – this is the number one rule of ensemble singing”. He gave the choir some other notes about the importance of dynamics and avoiding slowing down, and they sang again. The results were instant and impressive, as the sound of the collective voices reverberated around the nave. Paul’s advice to the boys will stay with them.
“Remember what it feels like to be part of a group that makes that kind of sound.
Remember that moment; remember how it feels.”
About Paul Phoenix
Paul Phoenix’s career in the music business spans five decades, from being an Ivor Novello Award-winning Chorister soloist at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, through 17 years and two Grammy Awards as tenor in the world-renowned a cappella group, The King’s Singers, with whom he performed more than 2,000 concerts, to founder of PurpleVocals, a coaching consultancy, which draws upon his vast experience as a singer and performer. His work not only as a speaker, coach and mentor, but also as a soloist, continues to take him around the world as he shares his passion for singing and choral music.
2019 was a milestone year for Paul, as PurpleVocals evolved and he became Executive Director of ‘Paul Phoenix Academy’ (PPA) in Hong Kong. PPA is a centre of Learning and Excellence, providing young musicians with engaging and inspiring music tuition in the heart of one of the world’s most vibrant cities. In 2022 he joined with ‘Vocasia’, an award-winning ensemble in Tianjin, China, working closely alongside their artistic team to develop a long term, world-class learning programme in ensemble development.
As well as his work in Asia, Paul is Artistic Director of ‘Nomad Vocals’, a collective of semi-professional ensembles across Finland, pioneering a new model of both online and