Choir History - Julian B

From: Julian Barrat, cantor and chorister at St Oswald’s

Since my Father was in the Army and we moved frequently I was packed off to an English Prep school as a border at the age of 8, which was the common practice in the 1960s.

Music was quite prominent at the school and I played violin in the school orchestra and sang in the choir. In 1970 the choir recorded a 45rpm record of 4 Christmas Carols in which I sang a solo in the first verse of Harold Darke’s In the Bleak Midwinter – see attached record sleeve. I’m at the centre at the back. I’m still in touch with half a dozen of these choristers, who include my brother and sister-in-law.

At Secondary School in Kent, we had an inspiring new Music Teacher who developed the choral singing. We had a Main Choir which did The Messiah, Faure’s Requiem etc., a Madrigal Group, a Men’s Close Harmony Group which sang various things including Barbershop, and the top Choir was the Chapel Choir which sang Church music. I was in all of them. In my final year the Chapel Choir sang full Evensong at Guildford, Rochester and Canterbury Cathedrals and recorded an LP of Christmas Carols. Picture of Chapel Choir rehearsal attached. I’m standing against the wall at the back. The School also did a production of HMS Pinafore – Curtain Call picture attached with me at the front in the white sailor’s uniform as Captain Corcoran. (Images below)

I went to University at the London School of Economics. As a Social Science institution it had no Music or Arts faculties, but the Music Society, of which I was President for 2 years, managed to field a Choir of 60-odd and sang The Messiah (again) in St Mary-le-Strand, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Vaughan Williams Mass. I also did some Barbershop singing with three friends in London pubs.

After University I joined the major UK Multinational company ICI. In the next 12 years I moved both jobs and geography every two years and wasn’t able to settle into a Choir, although sang occasionally with local groups. When I moved to Australia, and Glen Iris, in 1992 my job required frequent overseas travel so I wasn’t able to commit to any singing commitments, so when Dion Henman initiated a revitalisation of the St Oswald’s Choir with its fairly informal approach – everybody travels a lot (when they can) - it suited me very well.