AROUND SOUND is a series of lectures and talks using technology to delve deep into great music - designed to be entertaining, informative and captivating. No prior musical knowledge or singing experience is required - these are talks with no singing at all. AROUND SOUND talks will feature experts to bring great composers and their music to life, one at a time.

This is a series of six lectures on :

MESSIAH

This is a course of six 75 minute sessions led by Ben England BEM as he takes us inside Messiah: A unique exploration of the greatest choral work in history. In May 2020, Ben led a choir of 3,600 singers from all over the world in an online Messiah course and then repeated the exercise in May 2021. The choir learned, recorded and performed it in eight weeks all from their own homes and never met in the process.

Their Concert of the full work with no cuts is here for you to watch:

This AROUND SOUND Course takes us right into the heart of Messiah.

1 - Handel’s orchestra and the Baroque Era

Delve into the world of the baroque orchestra and Handel’s mastery of composing for this ensemble. 
What does authentic performance mean? Why is there no conductor?

2 - Figured Bass and The Continuo

The continuo part in baroque music leads everyone else, and consists of a team of musicians all working together. We’ll explore the makeup of a typical continuo section, discuss how their part is created and even look at figured bass - a style of musical shorthand that combines strict structure with improvisation.

3 - All about Handel

Handel’s life was extraordinary, from the son of a barber in Halle to a burial in Westminster Abbey and a reputation to last the ages. We will walk with Handel through his life and look at his influences, his journey and his legacy.

4 - Word painting and story telling in Messiah

A fascinating dive into the best examples of Handel’s compositional genius, how the work is structured and how the movements propel the drama forwards.

5 - Anatomy of a masterpiece - Hallelujah

By taking advantage of the Self Isolation Choir’s unique recording and mixing methods, we can explore and illuminate music in ways that others just can’t. We shall lift the bonnet on this immortal movement and through a mixture of analysis and technical wizardry, marvel at its construction from the basso continuo through to the soaring sopranos.

6 - Messiah around the World

The creation of a lockdown classic and a new way of thinking about choirs. Join Ben, Mark and the team as we revisit the creation of The Self-Isolation Choir, Messiah and the birth of a new art form with behind the scenes discussions and the real story behind the incredible accomplishment that was Messiah at Home.

The cost of the entire MESSIAH course is £20.

About Ben

Ben England BA (Hons), PGCE, BEM is a music graduate of Bristol University, where he specialised in musical analysis, composing and musical direction. He trained as a conductor with Dr Alan Rump and Dr Adrian Beaumont, before going on to study conducting with Denise Ham of the London Conducting Academy.

After graduation, Ben sang with groups as diverse as the New English Orchestra, the Bristol Chamber Choir, Bristol Opera, the Exultate Singers and the Choir of Clifton Cathedral. A bass baritone, he has performed widely as an oratorio and operatic singer, including lead roles in The Cunning Little Vixen and Der Mond (for Bristol Opera), The Magic Flute and the Pirates of Penzance. Ben currently teaches singing to adults and young people across the Bristol area.

Ben is a former Musical Director of Bristol Opera, where he led the company in successful performances of Handel’s Samson and Lakmé by Delibes and he has led numerous choirs in and around Bristol for the past 20 years, including the large Bristol Cabot Choir and the Bristol Gilbert and Sullivan Operatic Society and a number of smaller choirs.

Having qualified as an Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) of Music through the DfE Fast-Track Teaching programme, Ben worked for South Gloucestershire as a Head of Music and county Music and Music Technology specialist for eight years. In 2011 Ben took up the role of Director of Music at Colston’s Girls’ School, where he ran music across five schools (including four primary schools) from 2011-2016. His work as an educator brought him to the national stage on numerous occasions, as he lectured on music and leadership at conferences for the DfES and the National Association of Head Teachers.

Ben has worked extensively with professional composers to champion their music, often commissioning and performing new works. These composers include local musicians Richard Barnard and Eric Wetherell, as well as more recently the eminent John Rutter and conducting a premiere by the renowned composer Patrick Hawes.

Since leaving teaching, Ben has worked on a freelance basis for Bristol Plays Music, the music education hub for the City of Bristol, based at the Bristol Beacon (formerly Colston Hall). In this role he has organised and coordinated major performances at the Colston Hall, Bristol Cathedral and further afield. He managed the Bristol Youth Choir from 2016-2017 and coordinated the live BBC Radio/TV music broadcast from Southmead Hospital on BBC Music Day 2017. He has written award-winning education materials and been nominated for three national Music Teacher awards for his work on projects such as the Bristol/Monteverdi 450 choral workshops and university seminar and the Bristol Minute of Listening. He is the author of the curriculum materials for the planned international 2021 Berlioz celebrations.

During the Coronavirus outbreak of 2020, Ben established “Homechoir”, a free YouTube channel on which he broadcasts a range of free musical and educational programmes including Quarantine choir rehearsals, “Deep Dive” music theory teaching and a Sacred Sing on Sunday mornings. In October of 2020, Ben (as founder of Homechoir) was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) by Her Majesty the Queen for services to the community during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Following the launch of Homechoir, Ben was appointed Musical Director of the Self-Isolation Choir (founded by inspirational business leader Mark Strachan) which in 2020 has grown to one of the largest choirs in the world.

Ben lives in the South-West of the UK with his wife Ana and their children Katie and Bobby.