How I Got Into Cambridge

Blog by Paula Downes

To get into Trinity Choir I had to go through an audition with the Director of Music, Richard Marlow (RKM), (my Dad helped me to warm up my voice beforehand in the grounds of St John’s), a performance in the chapel in front of all the Choral Scholars (who, I later found out, were rating us on our voice and looks by showing a number of fingers on each hand on their laps!), a trip to the Maypole pub that same evening with the Choral Scholars (and it wasn’t clear if they would have a say in the results/decision, so I felt on edge!), an interview with the Chaplain, an audition in the Music Department the following day in front of all Directors of Music and Organ Scholars across the university (where my sight-reading needed to be perfect after a small slip in my audition with RKM), a recall audition to Robinson College (which made me worry that I hadn’t made it into Trinity). When it was all over I had to wait a couple of weeks to find out the result. I remember opening the letter with trembling hands and not allowing myself to read any of it until I had unfolded it fully. I screamed as I read my offer of an award to Trinity!

The stress was not over though, since I now had to go through the academic interviews at Trinity, to actually confirm my place.

When I went back to school to tell my teachers, they were over the moon, but I had to remind them that I hadn’t actually got a place yet. It was quite possible that I wouldn’t get one, but I didn’t get the impression that my teachers had really taken that in. I felt quite scared about it all, especially since my mock interview had not gone particularly well and the Head of Sixth Form had told me I didn’t sparkle enough.

In addition to my worries about the interview, I had to prepare and send some essays and compositions. I was incredibly lucky to be coached for all of this by my Dad’s best friend and colleague from Birmingham Conservatoire, David Brock, a lovely man, as short as my Dad, and just as funny. They were nicknamed “Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee” by their students! He helped me with Keyboard skills (which I found really difficult), Harmony and Counterpoint, and Essay Writing. David refused to take any money for the coachings at our house and stayed on for dinner each week afterwards, treating us all to his hilarious jokes.

Thankfully my academic interviews went flukishly well. Answers seemed to miraculously appear in my head. I couldn’t believe it when I was asked to play themes from Beethoven symphonies on the piano - my Dad had been testing me on that just beforehand! RKM seemed amused that I played all of the symphony themes in the wrong keys! I also had to sit a Bach Chorale harmonisation exam without the help of a keyboard, but felt quite confident with my finished paper, particularly since I had included a Phrygian cadence. My school music teacher would have been proud!

I didn’t find out the result until several weeks later, when I was on a National Youth Choir of Great Britain course in Harrogate. I had to phone my parents and ask them to open the letter for me. The wait was excruciating as I heard them tearing open the envelope…

But it was fantastic news! I had wanted to go to Cambridge ever since I could remember (my Dad took us there to visit St John’s when I was under 10 and I decided I wanted to go there then!) and it was now actually within my reach. I was ecstatic! There followed, however, several more months of hard work and worry. I still had to achieve 2 As and a B in my A levels, and although I was usually a straight-A pupil, I had somehow managed to muck up my first French module, taken a couple of months earlier. This meant that I now had to do all of my modules in one go at the end of the year and a hell of a lot depended on them. My other two A Levels, German and Music, also depended solely on exams at the end of the year. I was so lucky to have the help of my Mum, a French and German expert (definitely the reason for choosing these subjects, but they actually turned out to be invaluable for my singing later on) and of course, my Dad with music. I certainly made use of every possible advantage.

I had a nasty shock on the Friday night before a week full of A level exams. During a phone conversation with my friend Heather, who was doing the same A levels as me, we disagreed about which exam was scheduled for the Monday. I was convinced that it was German Language, whereas she was adamant that it was German Literature, an exam which required a huge amount of revision. I phoned my German teacher in a panic and she confirmed that it was German Literature on the Monday, but reassured me and told me not to worry. I put the phone down and calmly made plans to devote every hour of the weekend to this revision. I spent all day on Saturday in Birmingham Library, just for a change of scene, but never stopped working… I kept telling myself, ‘it isn’t too late yet’…

Fortunately, the exam went well. I was annoyed that I couldn’t remember one of the minor characters in one of the books I had studied, but luckily it was only worth a few marks. Afterwards I was relieved it was over because I only had one exam left that required heavy revision, so could give it my full attention. I had some ingenious techniques for memorising, which have helped me with memorising for singing. My favourite method involved recording quotes and then walking through the village listening to them on my Walkman. I got exercise and fresh air, and I didn’t feel guilty because I was still revising.

I awoke very early on A level results day and had no idea how I would get through the hours before my school opened. I had arranged to meet my friend Katherine on the way so we could give each other moral support. When we arrived I walked towards my Form Tutor’s table. She saw me coming and handed me my papers with a worried face and told me to sit down to look at them. I didn’t think that was a good sign and felt a terrible feeling of dread. I gingerly looked at the papers. I had achieved 2 As and a B. I had wanted to get 3 As but needed 2 As and a B for my place at Cambridge, so looked at it positively. I reassured my teacher, who had thought I needed 3 As and went out to see my Dad who had come to pick me up. He was delighted and told not to worry about my B in French. When I got home, however, my Mum was really upset, because she had worked so hard with me on my French. We decided to ask for a re-mark, and several months later, when I was already at Cambridge, I got a letter telling me it had been a mistake, so I got an A for my French too!

So that is how I made it to Cambridge.

Blog by Paula Downes