Charles Collins writes:

I joined the cathedral choir in my 1st year as a chemistry student after hearing about it from a friend who was a scholar at the Cathedral. I auditioned and, after having been offered a choral scholarship, was at once warmly welcomed by the choir. Singing at the cathedral provided me with incredible opportunities to further my singing career, including workshops with accomplished singing teachers and professional vocalists, whilst the inclusion of subsidised singing lessons provided me with indispensable one-to-one tuition. Another fantastic opportunity was an unforgettable and thoroughly enjoyable tour to Barcelona, singing in breathtaking locations including Girona Cathedral and the Sagrada Familia.

On a week to week basis, the rapid rotation of music and the singing of regular services vastly improved my sight reading as well as expanding my knowledge of, and increasing my appreciation for, a wide range of choral music. Above all though, I am eternally grateful for the friends I have made. I have had the opportunity to develop on a personal level as well as a musician, thanks to the people of the choir and the strong, shared sense of camaraderie, which is evidenced by the strong alumni involvement.

I would heartily encourage any prospective student who has had some previous experience of choral singing to audition for this choir, there is so much to get out of it.

Dr Lisa MacKenzie, our first Choral Scholar, joined some of the Cathedral Choir on their recent tour to Barcelona. Here Lisa describes what they got up to...

In July a group of singers from the Cathedral Choir (past and present, young and slightly more mature!) went on tour to Barcelona, representing St Barnabas at a range of splendid venues around this beautiful city. 

We started our week by singing during Mass at Barcelona Cathedral, where we received a very warm welcome from the clergy and congregation alike, with some younger members even queuing to have 
photographs taken with choir members afterwards. 

We sang some old favourites including pieces by Tallis, Lassus and Bruckner as well as one of Alex's own compositions and also tackled some new and challenging music. Górecki's Totus Tuus was very well received at every performance, along with the hauntingly beautiful Mother of God, here I stand by Tavener which seemed to touch people of all nationalities whether they understood the English words or not!