Cole Bendall - First James Lobban Conducting Scholar 2011-2

Cole Bendall took up the Scholarship as a fourth year student at the University of Aberdeen studying Music, specialising in Composition with Paul Mealor and Jonathan Stephens. Originally from Edinburgh, Cole studied singing with Rupert Forbes and Gillian Jack and was a tenor member of the National Youth Choir of Scotland. Recent solo performances have included Mozart Requiem with Cantamus Hodie, Purcell The Fairy Queen with the University Baroque Ensemble and the premiere of Joan Cumming’s Five Songs by Thomas Hardy.

Cole was the first holder of both the James Lobban Conducting Scholarship (in association with the Aberdeen Bach Choir) and the Carlaw-Ogston Conducting Bursary, and studied with Michael Downes at the University of St Andrews. He conducted the recently founded Elphinstone Chamber Orchestra, Aberdeen Student Sinfonia, Caelestis Choir and assisted the University Choral Society. He also frequently accompanied and conducted music for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Bridge of Don, Aberdeen. Recent activity included the Fauré Requiem raising money for the New Zealand earthquakes (filmed for STV News), premieres in the sound festival and masterclasses with Stephen Cleobury in Cambridge and the conducting staff of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

During his final year, his commitments included Grieg’s Peer Gynt with the Aberdeen Student Sinfonia, Mahler’s Fourth Symphony in an arrangement by Klaus Simon with the Elphinstone Chamber Orchestra and taking part in the conducting courses of the Sherbourne Summer School of Music in August 2011. Cole aims to pursue conducting and musicological research at a professional level.

Cole proved an able and entertaining assistant to Musical Director Peter Parfitt during his time as James Lobban Conducting Scholar, which was shorter than the normal period because of delays in inaugurating the award. He took up the Scholarship in January 2012 and worked with Peter and the Choir in rehearsals for the J.S. Bach St. Matthew Passion performed in April 2012. As well as assisting with rehearsals, Cole was a valuable member of the tenor line, and sang with the tenors in the performance.

Cole graduated with a First Class Honours B. Mus. degree of the University of Aberdeen in July 2012 and, before going on to do postgraduate studies in Conducting and Musicology, hopefully at Cambridge, he will first go to a country as yet unknown as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints for a year.

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