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The English tenor, choral animateur and vocal coach., Charles MacDougall, received his early musical training in musical theatre and church music and as a pianist. He gained a choral scholarship to University College, Durham, and a place in the Royal School of Church Music’s (RSCM) Millennium Youth Choir. He also sang with the International Centre for Music Studies New Vocal Consort Graduating with a both a Bachelors and Masters degree (2005) in Classics, he went on to gain a PhD in Classics and Musicology from the University of London. Charles has been coached by baritone Richard Wistreich, soprano Lynne Dawson and mentored by noted opera director Elijah Moshinsky. He currently continues his vocal studies with international vocal coach Hilary Llystyn Jones, Veronica Veysey Campbell and the tenor Charles Daniels.
As a soloist, Charles MacDougall has performed George Frideric Handel's Messiah on tour of Lombardy, Italy with the Gruppo Corale e Strumentale Jubilate, at the London Foundling Museum and St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol, with the Emerald Ensemble (recorded for Channel 4); a staged performance of J.S. Bach's St. John’s Passion (BWV 245) for Chameleon Arts; Monteverdi's madrigals with Trio Barokkalao in the Newcastle Early Music Festival; and W.A. Mozart's Spatzen-Messe with Northern Sinfonia. Forthcoming engagements include solo recitals at the Handel House Museum, the London Foundling Museum, Benjamin Franklin House with award-winning harpsichordist Bridget Cunningham, and further projects with lutenist Sam Chapman.
Charles MacDougall was a founder-member of vocal ensemble Voces8, singing with the group for over 7 years, performing over 100 concerts internationally every year. With the group he released several successful commercial albums (including winning 2 CARA Awards) and made regular television and radio appearances (BBC, ClassicFM, MPR, DRK). He gave his final performance with them on Christmas Day 2012 in Shanghai. He was also a member of Scotland's premier vocal ensemble Cappella Nova, the chamber choir Voces Cantabiles and the innovative New York ensemble Manhattan Camerata.
Since then, Charles MacDougall's solo highlights have included: creating the role of Richard III in John Webb’s The Last Plantagenet (Philharmonia Orchestra, De Montford Hall); G.F. Handel's Messiah (Telemann Chamber Orchestra, Hitomi Memorial Hall, Tokyo); J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) (Telemann Chamber Orchestra, Izumi Hall, Osaka); Evangelist in J.S. Bach's St. John’s Passion (BWV 245) (Dalby Kammarkör, Sweden); and Bach Early Cantatas (Les Inventions, Dijon Opera House). He also maintains a busy schedule of solo recitals around the UK and – as part of the centenary commemoration of the Great War - between 2014-2018 he will perform annually at the Commonwealth War Graves in Belgium and France.
As an animateur, Charles MacDougall works for the London Symphony Orchestra, Aldeburgh Music, London Youth Choir, has been Chorus Master in projects with the Philharmonia Orchestra and works with Paul McCreesh as a Chorus Director for Gabrieli Roar. He recently stepped down as Senior Vocal Coach at Portsmouth Cathedral, Whitgift School and Croydon Minster in order to be the Choral Specialist for The Voices Foundation and continues to coach for the Royal School of Church Music, the Royal Marines School of Music and many universities and schools, as well as regularly presenting at conferences on subjects such as chorister training, vocal technique, and performance.
Charles MacDougall also directs the Landmark Singers – a chamber choir – and Encore – a community choir – both in London, is the Assistant Musical Director of the DRET Choral Course in Uppingham, directs the Three Day Evensong Course for the RSCM at Rochester Cathedral, and conducts numerous school singing festivals across the UK. He is delighted to be Founder and Artistic Director of the Encore Summer School, which hosts a week of recitals, workshops and social events to South West London in July 2017.
Charles MacDougall has also sung for London Early Opera (and appears on their recent release Handel at Vauxhall, Vol.1, Signum Classics), Cappella Nova, and Schola Cantorum of Oxford, been involved in innovative collaborations with the James Taylor Quartet (Queen Elizabeth Hall), Charivari Agréable, and the Rose Ensemble (USA), and appeared as vocal coach/mentor on the BBC show ‘Do Something Different: Barbed Wire to Barbershop’. He currently lives in London, England. |
