Earth Choir Academy welcomes Ralph Allwood as its first Patron
Earth Choir Academy is proud to announce the appointment of Ralph Allwood MBE DMus as its first Patron.
Ralph is already well known to members of Choir of the Earth, having previously led popular courses on music by ABBA and The Beatles, as well as a course on Evensong.
He also directed All Things Bright and Virtual, a hymns course supported by the Royal School of Church Music, which brought together the cathedrals of eight cities around the UK, their organists, and thousands of singers online, featuring introductions from figures such as Sir Bryn Terfel, Stephen Fry, Katherine Jenkins and John Rutter.
Beyond his work with Choir of the Earth, Ralph brings a wealth of experience as one of the country’s leading choral directors. He was Director of Music at Eton College for over twenty-five years, and is now Director of Chapel Music at the Old Royal Naval College through Trinity Laban Conservatoire. He has also founded several influential charities focused on music education for children, including the Rodolfus Foundation, Inner Voices and the Pimlico Musical Foundation.
Speaking about his new role as Earth Choir Academy Patron, Ralph said:
"I'm really excited about becoming the first Patron because the Choir is all about bringing people together and singing together makes joy happen. Singing is one of the things that helps us feel alive in the best sense. It's a lovely thing to do and I'm so pleased to have been invited to be Patron of it."
Earth Choir Academy’s Directors commented:
"We are truly delighted and deeply honoured to welcome Ralph Allwood MBE DMus as our first Patron. Ralph’s extraordinary experience in choral music speaks for itself, and we share his passion for breaking down barriers to make singing accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances. His support means a great deal to us."
Further information about Ralph and his work can be found on our Patrons page.
Summer School 2026 - a week with Ralph
The Academy was also thrilled to announce that for a week in August 2026, Ralph will lead Choir of the Earth for a final, additional week of its popular Summer School.
Ralph will teach the Choir his own co-arrangement (with Leo Hussain) of Tchaikovsky’s Danse De La Fée-Dragée.
This arrangement is such fun, preserving the shimmering delicacy of the original Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, while infusing it with choral charm and humour. It’s full of surprises - unexpected harmonic twists, playful rhythmic interplay, and an almost magical sense of mischief… singing it feels like tiptoeing through a musical fairyland, which the Choir are greatly looking forward to exploring with Ralph next August.