CANTEMUS!CANTEMUS!
Welcome to the first issue of Cantemus!; the relaunched termly newsletter of the Choir Schoolsâ Association. Advent Sunday marks the beginning of the churchâs year, so this seems an excellent time to revive a regular publication for our members and supporters.
On Sunday evening, I had the privilege of attending the Advent Procession at York Minster, one of the most atmospheric and popular services of the year In the darkness and stillness as it began, I reflected on the contribution choristers make to these large-scale services that are held up and down the country, muchloved by their local communities and marking, for many, the start of their Christmas preparations
Encouraging choristers, and the teams that work with them, in their vital roles is at the heart of the CSAâs new three-year strategy: Support Celebrate Connect This was approved at our recent Trusteesâ Meeting and you can read more about it on page 2 This will also be the theme of our 2026 Conference which will take place in Oxford from 29 April to 1 May. th st
In my first term as Executive Director, I have enjoyed visiting CSA members in Durham, Norwich, Cambridge, Ely, Gloucester and Oxford, discussing outreach activities, plans to keep former choristers singing, collaborative initiatives among members and much more - and, of course, whenever possible, attending Evensong Thank you all for your warm welcome It was also an honour to represent the CSA with Vice Chair, Yvette Day, at the Requiem Mass for HRH The Duchess of Kent, our long-standing patron We acknowledge her outstanding support of young musicians in a tribute on pages 4 and 5
As always, the next few weeks will be incredibly busy for all cathedral musicians and their families All of us at the CSA you a wonderful season of services, concerts and celebrations, and a very Happy Christmas when it comes Rachel
Rachel Hicks, Executive Director
CSA Strategic Development Plan 2025-2027 Support. Celebrate. Connect.
The Choir SchoolsâAssociation is proud to present our new two-year strategic plan, Support. Celebrate. Connect.
This plan reflects our deep commitment to sustaining and enriching the unique choral tradition that lies at the heart of our members. It sets out a clear, collaborative vision for howwe will champion the wellbeing of our choristers, strengthen the communities that nurture them, and shine a brighter light on the remarkable work taking place within our choirs and schools. Over the next two years, we will focus on three guiding pillars:
Support
We support our members in their provision of excellent education, opportunities and care for choristers, including bursaries for those attending member schools and general grants which enhance choristersâ experience
Celebrate
We celebrate the exceptional opportunity that becoming a chorister offers to children, acting as a reliable source of information for families, partner organisations, the media and government, advocating for the important role of choristersâ contribution to the UK choral tradition.
Connect
We connect our members with each other to share best practice, and build relationships with partner organisations and experts working in the fields of choral music and education
Together, these three pillars represent our dedication to ensuring that choir schools continue to flourish, inspire and lead This strategy is not only a roadmap for progress; it is an affirmation of the values that unite us and the shared purpose that drives our work forward
David Morton, Chair, Choir Schoolsâ Association. Headmaster, The Kingâs School, Gloucester
New Members
Since September, we â ve been pleased to welcome two new Associate Members to the Association: Downside School and Warwick Schools Foundation
Founded by Sir Richard Runciman Terry over a century ago, Downsideâs Schola Cantorum is formed of around 40 boys and girls aged 11-18 The school also has an auditioned, mixed Chamber Choir drawn from the Schola Cantorum membership and the two choirs provide the music for all of the term-time weekly Sunday Masses at Downside Abbey, as well as for any extra masses for feast days and special occasions.
Warwick Schools Foundation joined the CSA following the launch of the King Henry VIII Choral Programme in partnership with the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick earlier this year. This new programme was made possible by the historic relationship the Foundation and St Maryâs enjoys with The King Henry VIII Endowed Trust, Warwick
We have also welcomed a number of new Heads to existing member schools: Areti Bizior has joined Dean Close Schools as Warden, Dr Michael Alderson has moved to Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation as Principal and Crispin Dawson has been appointed Principal at Hereford Cathedral School.
Simon Fisher has taken up the role of Principal at Kingâs School, Rochester replacing CSA Committee Member Ben Charles who has moved to Kingâs Worcester and Sarah Wright is the new Head of St Johnâs College School Cambridge
We look forward to working with all these new colleagues over the coming months and to meeting them at our conference in Oxford in the Spring
Member Webinars
Our first webinar took place on 26 November and focused on the CSA Bursary Process to ensure that the relevant steps are clear for both schools and families th
We were pleased that Liz Moseley of Bursary Administration Ltd was able to join us to provide an insight into the assessment process.
Thank you to all the members who joined on the day. If you were unable to attend and would like to receive a recording of the webinar, please email info@choirschoolsorg uk
Our next webinar will take place on Wednesday 11 March from 1:45pm -2:30pm on the theme of Chorister Recruitment. Please save the date!
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Remembering Katharine Kent Patron of the Choir Schoolsâ Association
Yvette Day, in conversation with Nick Robinson OBE, formerly Head and Master over the Choristers at Kingâs College School, Cambridge, and Co-Founder and Chair of Future Talent
You were Head at Kingâs for some 19 years, and in that time very active with the work of the Choir Schoolsâ Association. The late Duchess gave her support to any number of charities and associations: why the CSA?
Katharine adored singing She sang in many choirs (including the Bach Choir under Sir David Willcocks) and wanted to share her passion and enthusiasm for the benefits that singing can bring to as many people as possible
CSA was therefore very important to her, and she valued hugely the training that choristers receive from an early age and all the advantages that this brings and which lasts a lifetime.
In December 1989 Katharine Kent shared her Desert Island Disc choices with Sue Lawley. She said in that interview that each represented associations with particular people and moments in her life, rather than just a library of the music itself But musician she undoubtedly always was Can you tell us about that her studies, her teaching, and how music was so much a part of her life?
As a young girl growing up in Yorkshire, as well as singing at school, Katharine learnt to play the violin, piano and organ She was always very modest about her musical talents but if she had been able to pursue a career in music this would have been her dream.
However, marrying into the Royal Family put this ambition on the back burner It wasnât until many years later, when HM The Queen gave Katharine permission to step back from royal duties, that she was able to spend a year at The Royal Northern College of Music to train to become a music teacher This was at a time when most people are considering retirement
Photo credit: KT Bruce
She then became a voluntary music teacher at Wansbeck Primary School in East Hull. She relished the fact that she was able to spend nearly 13 years teaching at Wansbeck without the press discovering where she was teaching and with the children only knowing her as âMrs Kentâ
She invited me to spend a day with her at Wansbeck, and it was a joy to see how much the children loved her singing lessons and her enthusiasm for all sorts of pop songs
Her final Desert Island choice was Mozartâs Ave Verum. Are you aware if she had particular favourites within the choral repertoire, and if so, what might a Katharine Kent Evensong include?
Katharine loved a very broad range of choral music From Bach, Mozart, and Brahms, to Duruflé, Elgar and Rutter, to the Beatles, Blue and Eminem She loved so many works from the choral repertoire that it would be very difficult to choose!
I loved the words of Bishop James Curry, who preached the homily at Katharineâs funeral at Westminster Cathedral He said: âMusic of all genres, and its healing power, was a passion for Katharine Kent. It is said that "when the angels play music for God, they play Bach, but when they play music for themselves, they play Mozart." I hope heaven is ready for a rapping Duchessâ Iâm not sure if any Cathedral is ready for a rapping anthem at Evensong!
In 2004, you worked very closely with her in establishing Future Talent. What was the motivation for her to be involved in this project? What is her legacy and how can the CSA assist in taking that forward?
I first met Katharine in 2004 when I invited her to visit Kingâs College School in Cambridge â where two of her granddaughters were pupils at the time During her visit, we had a fascinating discussion about supporting children who are musical She told me all about her work teaching in Hull, and the challenges she faced trying to encourage and support some very musically talented children. She was doing this entirely on her own in a voluntary capacity given the lack of financial resources at the school Katharine was troubled that there were hundreds of schools in all parts of the UK which did not have the resources or manpower to spot and nurture musical talent She was desperate to do something practical to help address this problem and I offered to help her
A few months later Future Talent was founded in November 2004 We launched our new charity at Kingâs College School and the University Music Department Concert Hall in West Road. Future Talent currently supports 150 young musicians from low-income families in all parts of the UK. We offer a full programme of mentoring (with professional musicians), workshops, ensemble days and financial support to pay for music lessons and other musical needs
We also have dedicated Relationship Managers in our staff team who are professional musicians They manage the music programmes for the children and get to know them and their families well so that they can follow their progress and development all the way to age 18 and beyond.
As we begin this next chapter in the history of Future Talent without Katharine, I am determined to continue to expand our reach and to increase the number of young musicians we support This will ultimately be Katharineâs legacy as her inspiration will continue to live on in the lives of all our Future Talent musicians, past, present and future Anything CSA can do to help us financially but also by spreading the word about the importance of our work, would be greatly appreciated
If you could describe her contribution to music in just three words, what might those three words be?
Passionate, devoted and inspirational
The David Willcocks Music Trust
Jonathan Willcocks (Chairman â David Willcocks Music Trust)
My father, Sir David Willcocks, was born into a loving but non-musical family in what was then a small fishing village in Cornwall As many households did at that time, the family owned an upright piano, even though none of the family could play it, and by chance my fatherâs innate musical potential was spotted by the visiting piano tuner who encouraged his parents to seek advice from a specialist musician
The then Master of the Kingâs Music was Sir Walford Davies, who broadcast a weekly radio programme about music, and â not knowing anyone else to turn to and somewhat brazenly - Davidâs mother wrote to him asking what they should do with an apparently musical child Sir Walford generously invited the family to visit him in London, discovered that David had perfect pitch and a natural instinct for melody and rhythm, and recommended that he should apply for a choristership at Westminster Abbey
he rest is history, and my father was always so aware of the fantastic early musical education and opportunity that being a chorister had given him and was determined to do all he could to assist the musical development of future generations of children.
Funded largely by royalties from his descants and carol arrangements that were at the heart of OUPâs series of Carols for Choirs publications, the David Willcocks Music Trust was established in 1989, primarily to provide grants to support opportunities for music-making for children
Since his death in 2015, the Trust has continued this mission, supporting a broad range of musical projects â building on Sir Davidâs belief that there is no better foundation to future musical development than the chance to sing at an early age.
The Trust has been very pleased to work with the CSA to provide further inspiration and opportunities for young musicians within CSAâs membership schools â specifically with an annual Composition Competition that provides the incentive for children to try their hand at creating their own music Over the several years of the competition, some really outstanding pieces of choral music have emerged âseveral being performed by choirs in their Cathedrals.
The Trust is also keen to develop further non-singing musical initiatives, for example to facilitate the learning by children in CSA schools of âshortageâ instruments, such as viola, double bass and bassoon, and also providing finance to pay for organ lessons for a particularly promising chorister keyboard player So â every time that you perform the familiar âSing choirs of angelsâ descant to verse 6 of Hark! The herald angels sing, you will be helping other young developing musicians to blossom into who knows what in the future!
Chorister Composition Competition
As we launch this year â s Chorister Composition Competition (all the details can be found on the next page) in partnership with the David Willcocks Music Trust, we take a look back at last year â s winners.
14-18 age group: Thomas, Kingâs Ely
Under 14 age group: Zino, Wells Cathedral School
Highly Commended: Anna, The Minster School, Southwell
Highly Commended: Hugo, Chester Cathedral
Participants were asked to set the text âI will give thanks unto the Lordâ for choir, with or without accompaniment
The competition was judged by Jonathan Willcocks and Charlie Willcocks on behalf of the David Willcocks Trust
The Choir Schoolsâ Association is very grateful to the David Willcocks Trust for enabling this competition to take place and we look forward to receiving this year â s entries.
Download a PDF of the competition poster HERE
Pictured left: Zino, 2025 winner in the under 14 age group
TEXT ABOUT ZINO AT THE CONFERENCE
BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2025
In October, Alastair, a fifth form pupil at Magdalen College School, was named BBC Young Chorister of the Year in the BBC One final presented by Aled Jones
Judge Gareth Malone praised him as âblessed with a lovely voice,â with the judging panel unanimously impressed by his expressive performance of John Rutterâs Gaelic Blessing a piece he says âmakes one feel warm insideâ
A former Magdalen Chorister who joined at age seven, Alastair has long been a musical force within the school, singing in the Schola Cantorum, Ex Collegio Chamber Choir, and Barbershop, and performing in the Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Band, and multiple chamber ensembles.
His choristership laid the foundation for his musicianship, discipline, and compositional interests
In a conversation with the CSA, Alastair reflected on his chorister beginnings, memorable moments, and hopes for the future
How did you become a chorister?
âI joined Magdalen College Choir at seven honestly because we thought, why not? Iâd been having singing lessons for years, and it just seemed like something to try.
Looking back, it feels astonishing that such a simple decision led to all of thisâ
Most memorable performance?
âDefinitely May Morning 2022 from the top of Magdalen Tower We sang to 13,000 people the first May Morning after lockdown and I knew it would be my last before my voice broke It was magicalâ
Balancing schoolwork and singing?
âWith some difficulty! GCSEs are looming, but when everything does come together, the satisfaction of having met every challenge is incredibleâ
Funniest rehearsal moment?
âOnce, in a festive evensong rehearsal of Orlando Gibbons, our side of the choir drifted a minor third sharp because we couldnât hear the other side Mr Williams had to walk over mid-piece and sing our line at the correct pitch! A shocking but very funny moment.â
What do people not realise about life in the stalls?
âThe community The friendships last for years At alumni services, ex-choristers gather in the quad waiting for old friends and the joy when they spot each other is wonderful.â
Ambitions for the future?
âIâm not sure about a career yet maybe Music or Geography at university But musically, Iâd love to sing solo on live TV and meet more of my heroes, like Jess Gillam, Sheku KannehMason, and Bill Bailey.â
A piece youâd love to sing alone in the Cathedral?
âLoch Lomond In a huge acoustic, the sound just washes and melts in the most beautiful way Those intervals emerging and dissolving⊠I love it.â
BOOK REVIEW
Evensong. Notes from the Choir
A light-hearted guide to choristers and lay clerks in quires and places where they sing by
Timothy E Popple
If you ' re looking for a Christmas gift for someone who already loves Anglican choral music, or, perhaps, for someone who has been to Evensong a few times and would like to know more,
Tim Poppleâs book could well be your answer Deftly navigating the line between delivering in-jokes to the initiated and clear explanations to the â as yet â less well-informed, the author (a lay clerk himself) takes us through a service of Choral Evensong from the Introit to the Organ Voluntary.
Along the way he draws on his own experiences since being a chorister and his wide-ranging knowledge of both the choral landscape and repertoire to explain many of the traditions, peculiarities and personalities within this âworld of music and choirs, which, with tradition, peace and tranquillity, bring friendship, excitement and eternal joy.â
What comes across most strongly is Timâs infectious enthusiasm for the choral tradition and a sincere wish that more people would visit their local cathedral at about 5:30pm after a tough day at work and experience for themselves the peace and beauty of Evensong Of special interest to us at the CSA is the compelling account he gives of what it means to be a chorister, and how it differs from other âextracurricular activitiesâ
âBeing a chorister is different one does not âdo singingâ; one is a chorister It is not something you do, it is something you are for those who go on to find their career in music, it will become a defining factor of their life For those who do not pursue a musical career, all the other skills learned as a chorister â teamwork, dedication, timekeeping, reading, social interaction across diverse ages, responsibility, professionalism, and more â will come to bear in their chosen profession, regardless of what it isâ
However many times you have been to Evensong you will find something to inform, amuse or entertain you in this charming book â and the extensive bibliography will point you in the direction of further reading if you want to know more
The book is available from wwwquiresandplacescom
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Win a copy of Evensong: Notes from the Choir!
We have three copies of the book, kindly signed by the author, to give away to readers of this first issue of Cantemus!
Please email info@choirschoolsorg uk to tell us why you would like a copy or who you would like to nominate to receive a copy, and why, by 5pm Wednesday 10th December and we will put all names into a draw and let the luck winners know on Thursday 11th December.
These newsletters are sent out every term; the next issue will be published at the end of February
f you have any suggestions for articles please email the Editor at info@choirschools org uk
