Sinéad Crowley
The MA in Choral Studies is a unique programme in Ireland. It offers students the opportunity to develop their conducting and choral leadership skills while also studying other aspects of choral music including composing and arranging for choirs, historically-informed approaches to music and insights into structures such as the Arts Council. Its part-time structure makes it very manageable while working and I feel that it is a worthwhile undertaking no matter what stage of your career you are at.
The Master’s programme allowed me to refresh areas in which I was already experienced but also develop skills in areas which were new to me.
The real strength of the course is the lecturers who deliver it. It is taught with clear expertise but also a real sense of fun and enjoyment. All students in our class were met with nothing but encouragement and the progress made over the two years of the course was clear to see.
The course offers opportunities for participation in masterclasses in addition to learning from experts in various aspects of choral music on the ‘Academic Saturday’ sessions. These included sessions on vocal production, music publishing, warm-ups and choral arranging and were highly informative and readily applicable to our own rehearsals.