Barlow was a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral before studying at King's School, Canterbury, then moving to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was an Organ Scholar.
bˈɑːɹloʊ wʌzɐ kˈoːɹɪstɚɹ æt kˈæntɚbˌɛɹi kɐθˈiːdɹəl bᵻfˌoːɹ stˈʌdiɪŋ æt kˈɪŋz skˈuːl, kˈæntɚbˌɛɹi, ðˈɛn mˈuːvɪŋ tə tɹˈɪnᵻɾi kˈɑːlɪdʒ, kˈeɪmbɹɪdʒ, wˌɛɹ hiː wʌz ɐn ˈɔːɹɡən skˈɑːlɚ.