The Vanderbilt Choral Scholars have spent the last week immersed in the rich musical traditions of Northern England, combining performances, collaborations and liturgical music-making in a tour that is already proving transformative for the Blair School of Music students.
Led by Blair professors Tucker Biddlecombe and Mary Biddlecombe, the ensemble began its journey in Liverpool, where students quickly settled into a demanding but deeply rewarding schedule of rehearsals, performances and cultural exchange. After arriving midweek, the group embraced an unexpected exercise in teamwork: students organized themselves into rotating cooking groups, planning meals together while accommodating dietary needs and sharing responsibility for daily life abroad.
Their musical work began almost immediately at Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral, where the scholars rehearsed each morning in the cathedral choir room generously opened to them by colleague Dr. Chris McElroy. The students also participated in a joint workshop and choir exchange with the Chamber Singers from the University of Liverpool, sharing distinctly American repertoire while learning British choral traditions from their counterparts. What began as a musical exchange quickly grew into new friendships and artistic camaraderie.
One of the tour’s major highlights came with a large collaborative performance of Haydn’s The Creation at The Tung Auditorium, part of the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre at the University of Liverpool. The Vanderbilt singers joined the University of Liverpool choir, the Oriole Singers community chorus and the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra for the performance. Vanderbilt students prepared the demanding work independently before arriving in England, and their readiness impressed both faculty and collaborators alike. (Read the review of the performance in Arts City Liverpool.)
Beyond concert preparation, the tour is designed as an immersive educational experience. Students are studying Gregorian chant and Renaissance repertoire in the contexts for which the music was originally written, strengthening musicianship skills developed at Blair while experiencing centuries-old traditions firsthand. During rehearsals in Liverpool, the scholars were introduced to reading neumes and chant notation; a new challenge they embraced with enthusiasm and remarkable speed.
The ensemble also traveled to Chester Cathedral, where students presented an informal performance for visitors in the historic medieval space. What began as a casual singing opportunity gradually drew a crowd of listeners, giving the scholars their first chance to perform publicly during the tour and to experience the resonance and atmosphere of a centuries-old English cathedral.
Following their Liverpool performances, the group departed early Sunday morning for Leeds Cathedral, where they joined the Leeds Choral Scholars and Cathedral Choir in worship services before recording three separate BBC broadcasts that will air throughout the United Kingdom. The tour will conclude back in Liverpool with participation in the Metropolitan Cathedral’s annual Pentecost service, an event uniting choirs from both the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Europe.
For the Vanderbilt Choral Scholars, the week represents far more than a performance tour. It is an opportunity to live, study and sing within one of the world’s great choral traditions while building community, artistry and confidence together.
