| Ralph Allwood, MBE | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1950 |
| Occupations | Choral conductor |
Ralph Allwood, MBE (born 1950) was the Precentor and Director of Music at Eton College in the UK until September 2011. He is a British conductor and has set up many musical events, including the Eton Choral Courses of which there are now seven a year.[1] He previously headed the music departments at Pangbourne and Uppingham.[2] He also conducts the Rodolfus Choir, a critically acclaimed group of singers aged 16–25, drawn principally from the Eton Choral Courses.[3]
Allwood implemented many changes to the Eton College Music Department since his arrival in 1985, including changes to the music lesson and scheduling system and doubling the size of the music schools. One very important job was to select the Music Scholars and Exhibitioners for entry into the school in F Block.
Allwood directed and ran the College Chapel Choir at Eton, and had been doing so since 1985. In 2009, he announced that he would be retiring from his post as Precentor and Director of Music in 2011.
His brother, Peter Allwood, was the former Director of Music at Christ's Hospital before he became a headmaster.
He was be replaced as Precentor by Mr. Tim Johnson, who was previously the director of music at The Royal College of St Peter in Westminster, in September 2011.
He was awarded the MBE in the Queen's 2012 New Year's Honours List.[4]