Choir Of King's College, Cambridge

Today the choir is directed by Stephen Cleobury and derives much of its fame from the Festival Of Nine Lessons And Carols , broadcast worldwide to millions on Christmas Eve every year, and the TV service Carols from King's which accompanies it.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE CHOIR

The statutes of the College provide for sixteen choristers, and from the beginning of the 20th Century fourteen Undergraduates have sung in the choir as Choral Scholars. Information for prospective members can be found here .

Former members of the Choir (including Directors of Music and Organ Scholars) are able to join the King's College Choir Association .

DIRECTORS OF MUSIC

The Choir is conducted by the Director of Music, a Fellow of the College.

1876–1929: Arthur Henry Mann

1929–57: Boris Ord

1940–45: Harold Darke (Boris Ord's substitute during the war)

1957–73: Sir David Willcocks

1974–82: Philip Ledger

1982-present: Stephen Cleobury

CHORAL SCHOLARS

The fourteen Choral Scholars are male students (usually Undergraduates) at the College. Choral Scholars must succeed at both the general entry requirements of the College as well as the Choral Trials in order to join the Choir.

Two of the Choral Scholars are assigned the role of Beater, as Senior and Junior Beater. These two Choral Scholars usually 'beat' (conduct while in the stalls) the psalms and often an introit during the service, even when the Director of Music is present.

Very occasionally, a Lay Clerk may be appointed in place of a Choral Scholar, for example if a vacancy unexpectedly arises, e.g. due to a student having gained a place at the college subject to A-level grades being achieved failing to reach these. Such Lay Clerks have, to all intents and purposes, the same status as a Choral Scholar. The few Lay Clerks that have existed (since the establishment of Choral Scholars) are often Choral Scholars agreeing to remain for an additional year.

The Choral Scholars collectively form in their spare time a separate group, Collegium Regale (Latin for 'King's College'), which sings a wide range of music written for men's voices, from early music through to Barbershop Arrangements (many of the latter of which have been written exclusively for the group by present/former Choral Scholars).

Groups spawned from the Choral Scholars

Various singing groups have been spawned from groups of Choral Scholars:

Collegium Regale , made up of the current Choral Scholars

The King's Singers (1968-present)

Pange Lingua, directed by Berty Rice (1990s)

Notable Former Choral Scholars

Edward Gardner - Director, English National Opera

Stephen Varcoe - Baritone

Robert Tear - Tenor

Thomas Adès - Composer

ORGAN SCHOLARS

The organ is played by two Organ Scholars, who, like the Choral Scholars, are also students at the College.

If the Director of Music is not present for any reason, an Organ Scholar takes responsibility for conducting the Choir.

Female applicants have very occasionally been known to apply as an Organ Scholar, but never have any succeeded competitively in the Organ Scholar competition.

Applicants for Cambridge organ scholarships are in the anomalous position of being able to apply to both Cambridge and Oxford Universities - normally only one is possible as part of the UCAS application system.

TOURS

The Choir often tours externally, usually involving longer tours in the summer and at christmas, and shorter stays throughout the year. Previous tours have included: