I recently attended the OI Gala concert where current students and OIs came together to create, rehearse and perform a fantastic concert. During rehearsals, I sat down with a few of the female OIs to talk to them about their time at Ipswich School and, in particular music.  

I first spoke with Anna Churchill (OI 2004-09) and Antonia Ridley (OI 2007-12).

Anna is a classical singer and was a music scholar at Ipswich School. She was a member of the chapel choir, chamber orchestra and the symphony orchestra. As well as singing, she played the Oboe and Violin. When leaving Ipswich School she went on to study English Literature in Edinburgh and became a master of music at Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow. From 2017 to 2021 she was part of a young artist program and sang across the world in some incredible locations. She then decided to make a change and is currently studying for a PHD in Postcolonial Literature in Leuvan, Belgium. The OI Gala was her first time singing in public after 3 years!

Antonia was an academic scholar. She is a singer and was a member of the chapel choir, the chamber choir and show choir. When leaving Ipswich School, she went to university in Birmingham and joined her university choir, and has continued to sing when work allows. She now works at Ashtons Legal and will qualify as a lawyer next year, specialising in French law.

Antonia remembers travelling across Europe with the School and even sang at St Paul's Cathedral. Anna spoke about a great musical education at Ipswich School and opportunities to perform at York Minster and Ely Cathedral.

They both have memories of singing during evensong at St Mary-le-Tower Church and taking off their shoes - it was a tradition to sing barefoot.

Next I chatted to sisters Imogen Parry (OI 2009-13) and Freya Parry (OI 2009-14).

As pupils they ‘lived’ in the music department and signed up to every group possible - choirs, orchestras, big band, chamber groups. In Imogen's final two years of School she started a small singing ensemble called Show Choir. They performed in the Snape Concert in 2013 and it is still one of Imogen’s proudest achievements. Freya has great memories of Show Choir and commented that "the music department were always such champions of us making our own music and we’re so supportive, which is something I’m so grateful for." 

A vivid memory is the Thursday Chapel Choir (affectionately named Chap Chap) rehearsals. As well as Sunday evenings spent at school.  Imogen says “It was always quite spooky, hanging out in the empty, eerie corridors on a Sunday evening. If there was an evensong, we’d sing in the choir in chapel, and then go straight to Chamber Orchestra AND Big Band rehearsals, which ran at the same time, sometimes finishing around 10pm." They would sprint back and forth between rehearsals, switching from viola in Chamber Orchestra (Cham Cham) to vocals in Big Band (no nickname sadly but was run by legendary “Shep”), running along the corridor. 

The Christmas Carol services were also a highlight, they would belt out the descants as loud as they could. They also developed a tradition where, whatever the weather, they would walk without shoes between the choir school and the church. 

Freya studied Music and Drama at Manchester University, where she took advantage of every single opportunity that was in front of her - something she learnt to do at Ipswich School.  She now works as a freelance singer and project manager, for the organisation Gabrieli Roar, where she works with thousands of young people across the country delivering workshops and encouraging them to do more singing!  Freya says "Music at Ipswich School provided so many life changing opportunities and I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without everything I learnt at school."

Imogen took a gap year when leaving Ipswich School working in the music department of a school in West London. She then joined the University of Glasgow to study Theatre Studies and Comparative Literature. She sang in the choir, and performed in as many musicals as she could. Her third year was spent abroad studying at Boston College in the USA. 

Imogen now works full time as a freelance singer in London after spending 5 years as part of vocal group The Swingles.

All of the girls I spoke to agreed that Ipswich School helped to shape them as musicians, building versatility, resilience and endurance.  They were all delighted to return for the OI Gala Concert which was another resounding success!

You can see more images from the rehearsals in the gallery below. 

Caroline Gould
Development and Alumni Relations Manager.