A busy Christmas season for Wolfson's Director of Music

Lyn Alcántara has a full schedule even after Michaelmas Term has come to an end.

King's Junior Voices Christmas Concert

As Director of Music at Wolfson College, Lyn Alcántara wears several hats. She trains and conducts the College Choir and Chamber Singers, teaches students and plans a full program of musical events ranging from lunchtime concerts to 'Music & Madeira' performances at Formal Hall. But beyond the Fuchs' Music Room and the Lee Hall, Lyn manages a portfolio of other musical endeavours.

A classical singer, conductor and voice teacher originally from Australia, Lyn moved to England in the early 90s. She has sung with choirs, opera companies and The BBC, where she was staff alto with The BBC Singers for almost 25 years. She has run the College Choir at Wolfson for 25 years and been Director of Music at Wolfson for 20 years. In addition to her teaching at Wolfson, she also trains choral scholars at Wolfson, Sidney Sussex, Selwyn and Queens' College and is the co-ordinator of the new vocal pathway of the MMus in Choral Studies at the Faculty of Music.

As singing teacher for the world-famous King's College Choir, she will be in attendance for the Choir's BBC recordings for Carols from Kings and Easter at King's, as well as the legendary Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve. Although no tickets are available for the recordings, there is a queuing system for members of the public to pick up tickets from 07.00. In addition, the Choir will be singing in the Chapel Sung Eucharist on Christmas Day, to which the public is also invited to queue in the morning; the congregation is admitted at 10.30 for the service at 11.00. Details are available on the King's College website.

Tickets are also available for a Christmas Concert Lyn is conducting on Thursday 13 December by the King's Junior Voices (KJV), a free, mixed children's choir that she started over 10 years ago. Her involvement with KJV stems from her desire to extend the benefit and joys of musical training beyond the rarified environs of the University. She says,

"I passionately believe that all children should have the opportunity to gain access to singing and quality music education. King’s Junior Voices is aimed at all children, there’s no audition and there’s no fee – we fundraise to cover all costs so that no child is excluded."

The concert takes place at the West Road Concert Hall at 19.30 and tickets are available at the door.

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