Music and Tradition
Daniel Webb is reshaping RSGC's choral music program, leaving students with a life-long appreciation for music.
For more than sixty years, RSGC’s commitment to choral music has shaped its identity, tracing back to its founding as an Anglican choir school in 1961.
From performances that bring together students from across the school, to its role influencing the culture of the school, the program has inspired countless students to find their voices—both musically and personally.
At the start of the 2024–25 school year, we welcomed Daniel Webb as the newest steward of this legacy. A Cambridge University organ scholar, Mr. Webb is a seasoned leader of renowned choirs. He’s taught at four of the United Kingdom’s leading schools before moving to Toronto to start a new chapter of his life with his family. In addition to his talent and experience, he brought an inspiring vision, and an infectious love of choral music. Webb builds upon the work of his predecessor, Doug Jamieson, in shaping an inclusive and dynamic program that celebrates the longstanding priority for our community of boys raising their voices in song together.
“RSGC and Mr. Webb are a perfect fit for each other,” says Headmaster Stephen Beatty ‘86. “Mr. Webb is a much-celebrated addition to the College, is incredibly well-credentialed, and has worked at prestigious schools leading prestigious choirs for many years. What really stands out about him is his commitment to keep boys singing.”
We spoke with Mr. Webb about his life in music and what he brings to the choir program at RSGC.
What has shaped your passion for choral music?
DW: At first, I was a soccer-mad little boy who supported West Bromwich Albion FC. Then, I started singing in a church choir and I found that, unlike football, I was good at singing and that, unlike West Brom, it made me happy. From there, I sang in a cathedral choir and then became a music scholar at a school founded in the early 1600s. A Cambridge University organ scholarship followed and then a career in teaching that included four years as Director of Music at South Hampstead High School, a busy and ferociously academic independent school in London.
The reason I’m a musician is that I love the sound it makes. I have very clear memories of moments as a child when I thought, this is amazing. Some of these moments were geekily high-brow, like the time I became captivated by the overture to The Marriage of Figaro. A specifically vocal and definitely less sophisticated moment was while singing along to Scotland the Brave in a primary school music lesson and thinking, “this tune is so stirring!” And, naturally, in addition, many teachers and conductors have shaped and inspired my love of music.
What were your first impressions of the choral music program at RSGC?
DW: It is barking mad that a small school like RSGC maintains such a large, thriving, and ambitious choral program centred on its enormous chapel. It’s remarkable that it supports and cherishes the timeless values of the Anglican cathedral tradition when there are a thousand paths of less resistance open to schools. It’s bonkers that I see nearly 70 boys each week in one of between 12 and 15 different permutations of choir practices. It’s extraordinary that the students here show so much enthusiasm for pieces of music composed four hundred years ago. It’s exceptional that so many boys are prepared to sing in their unbroken treble voices an octave higher than a music teacher would generally expect from a young male conditioned by the belting deep tones of popular music. The entire thing is astonishing and I love it!
What do you feel you bring in terms of perspective and approach? Or what do you hope to add?
DW: It’s easy to say that you’ll defend traditions at all costs, and I’m certainly completely drenched in, and sympathetic to, the aims and values of our school’s founders. But the real world doesn’t stand still and, likewise, church music has never stood still. Anyone coming in fresh first has to sift through what really is a “tradition” and not just something that’s a recent habit. Then, since not all traditions are born equal, it’s necessary to examine what has intrinsic value and what might no longer be appropriate. Whereas the choirmasters of my youth thought nothing of telling me what and how to believe, I feel strongly that my students’ beliefs are none of my business. They should understand what they are singing about and clothe the words with sincerity in performance, because that makes for an effective performance. It’s not my place, however, to tell them to believe it.
“My choristers know that I regard the Chapel Choir as an environment in which it is safe to make mistakes. … I want this to be a program that everyone can feel at home in.”
How would you describe the students you’re working with?
DW: This is a truly lovely student community. They’re lively, funny, kind, and conscientious. If my son one day ends up here, I will feel very fortunate to see him in such a caring environment and in a place that—for all its outward formality and ceremony—really doesn’t take itself too seriously.
What are your specific goals, particularly in light of taking the program over from your predecessor?
DW: When one succeeds a musician of the standing and skill of Doug Jamieson [Mr. Webb’s predecessor and now Director of Choral Music Emeritus], one doesn’t at first think much beyond survival. Fortunately, Mr. Jamieson’s influence is so continuously felt, his support so complete and unconditional, and his outlook so human, that I have every encouragement to flourish. In time, I hope that I can reflect on my own work and discover that the principles of good musicianship I’ve emphasized are beginning to stick, and that the boys have come to know me better and appreciate what I’m trying to do.
What is your vision for choral music at RSGC?
DW: What I’m aiming for is a choir that sings with confidence, refinement, and a vivid projection of the text. This involves a careful balance of creating confidence that is not overblown; patiently repeating, modelling, and insisting upon standards in diction, ensemble, and conduct; and challenging choristers to strive for better and better while explaining why it is all worth it. Progress, if there is total commitment, is inevitable, and very exciting, but also not linear. The road to musical and artistic excellence is paved with setbacks and embarrassments.
What do you feel should be the guiding principles for this particular choral program?
DW: I want this to be a program that everyone can feel at home in. I care passionately that people think about what they’re singing and understand what it means—even if it’s in English, it can take a bit of explaining and unpacking. But that doesn’t mean people are expected to believe what they sing. This is important in terms of how we’re thinking about the choral program. We’re not pretending that the world hasn’t changed—there are differences now in how we use language and how we’re expected to help our boys to think. We are completely committed to making the choral program accessible to those of all faiths and none, and I have the chaplain’s total support in this.
My choristers also know that I regard the Chapel Choir as an environment in which it is safe to make mistakes. I hope they understand that an uncompromising pursuit of excellence is not the same as a tyranny where results are achieved through fear. They know that they can hold me accountable and I have encouraged them to understand that I see respect as a two-way street. I ask it of them and they have every right to expect it of me. Finally, I understand that my students are busy and multi-talented. I have to share them with sports and other academic pursuits. As much as single-focus choristers would be musically convenient, I value the variety of experiences they enjoy. As an occasionally keen runner myself, this is what I want for our young people.
