Patrick Allen studied French, Music and English at three Universities, and he began his career as a teacher of English and Drama. He switched to music teaching following MA studies at Sussex University. His practical, hands-on approach to music proved popular with students and word of his success with classes and performing ensembles led to approaches from publishers in the 1990s.
Publications
Singing Matters was widely acclaimed in the educational and academic press and remains a very popular text and teaching tool with music educators in the United Kingdom and beyond. Allen's subsequent Heinemann publications, Developing Singing Matters and Composing Matters are also widely used in schools and provide a practical and inclusive repertoire of activities for secondary pupils. Allen also contributes to educational journals, and was a co-author of Music Suite, an interactive CD-ROM published by On-Line Classics.
Patrick Allen has been the director and conductor of this youth choir based at Ifield Community College since 1987. As well as being seven times regional winners and national finalists in the National Festival of Music for Youth, the choir was one of two choirs selected by the BBC in 2011 to represent the UK in the internationalLet the Peoples Singchoral festival. The choir has performed five times on BBC Radio 3. In 2011 it was the subject of a feature on BBC Radio 3Music Matters, focusing on the integration of the school's Chagossian drummers, and later in the year performed in a broadcast gala concert from the BBC MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. In 2012 the choir performed live on BBC Radio 3 from The Roundhouse in London. As well as receiving widespread praise for its musical achievements the choir has also been praised for its inclusive approach, multicultural repertoire and for "raising the aspirations" of its members. The choir was the subject of a film by SVC Television, directed by Andrew Vere in 1996 and has performed at world class venues such as The Royal Festival Hall, St Mark's Basilica in Venice and Barcelona Cathedral. The choir perform on Rihanna's single Towards the Sun, co-written and produced by former choir member, Tiago Carvalho. The song, featuring the choir and Patrick Allen as Choir Master, also appears in the DreamWorks Animation production Home: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, curated by Rihanna.
Chagossian Drummers
Patrick Allen is responsible for the formation and development of a drumming group at Ifield Community College consisting entirely of boys from the displaced Chagossian community, who had been arriving in Crawley from Mauritius since 2004. The special musical culture and relationship between the performers led to immediate national interest, and integration with the choir. A first performance at the Royal College of Music for the National Association of Music Educators, was followed by a performance at the Royal Geographical Society at the Chagos Regagne Conference and two performances with the BBC Singers in Crawley and at Maida Vale Studios, entitled Rhythms of the World. In May 2011 they, and the choir, were the subject of a feature in The Times. The drummers performed with the college choir on BBC Radio 3 and were interviewed for BBC Radio in 2011. Their journey and experience in Crawley is described in a blog, and in a number of articles. They have also come to the attention of academic researchers, including a conference at King's College London in March 2012. The group have also had coverage in the Mauritian press and won awards in the Crawley community.
