Truro Cathedral Choir

Organ Scholar

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 09:42:00 GMT

The organ scholar plays an important role in the choral music tradition at Truro Cathedral. Each year an organ scholar is appointed. The role includes; aiding the director and assistant director of music in daily rehearsal and training of Truro Cathedral Choir girl and boy choristers, planning the service music, directing and accompanying two of the seven services sung by the choir, and helping to oversee the administration of the music department. They also look after the music library and assist with looking after visiting recitalists and other administrative work. Accommodation is provided, as it is for choral scholars. Many former holders of this post are now professional organists occupying significant positions nationally and abroad.

Truro Cathedral has three organs. The Father Willis organ (4 manuals, 45 speaking stops) dates from 1887, is widely considered to be one of Willis’ greatest achievements and attracts many players of international calibre to Truro Cathedral each year. The Byfield organ in St Mary’s Aisle (2 manuals, 12 speaking stops) dates from c 1750 and was completely overhauled in 1984 and cleaned in 2002. In 1997 a Chamber Organ for the Cathedral was built by the Northamptonshire builder Kenneth Tickell.

The choir has a large repertoire and there is an opportunity for organ scholars who wish to accompany specific repertoire.

For enquiries about becoming an organ scholar at Truro Cathedral please email jab@trurocathedral.org.uk.

Cathedral Choristers

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 09:32:00 GMT

Update 13 June 2025: Exciting Developments to the Chorister Programme at Truro Cathedral

Currently our choristers are children who sing in the cathedral choir for five years. This unique opportunity is often life-changing, with choristers singing to a professional standard in concerts, services, broadcasts, and tours.

The junior choristers are in school years 4 – 8 and the senior choristers are in school years 9 – 13. Usually, either all the junior choristers or all the senior choristers sing with the choir’s 12 adult professional singers, and occasionally the whole choir sings together.

The cathedral holds Chorister Experience Days each winter so that children can find out what it would be like to join the choir. It’s an amazing experience but also quite a big commitment.

“I feel so lucky to be able to sing nearly every day.” - Ollie, aged 9

Choristers often sing before and after school, so, to make this easier, they all attend the same one: Truro School.

Children can apply from any school and then transfer. Scholarships are available towards the school fees and can be supplemented by means-tested bursaries so that any talented child can apply to join Truro Cathedral Choir, regardless of their household income. Professional singing tuition, pastoral care, music, robes, transport, and education are all provided.

We want children to make the most of their time in the choir, so we hold open auditions to look for voice, reading skills, musical ear, concentration, and understanding of commitment. We let the children know in advance what to expect, so they can relax and do their best.

During their time in the choir, choristers will sing at hundreds of services and concerts, broadcast on radio and television, record CDs, go on tour, and help raise money for charities, such as UNICEF. This incredible opportunity is not available anywhere else in Cornwall and often has wider benefits.

“What I’ve learned, not just the music stuff, but all the other skills, will help me with whatever I do in my life.” - Jacob, aged 13

Come along to our experience days to find out more.

For more information about how your child can become a Truro Cathedral chorister, please email jab@trurocathedral.org.uk

Additional information is available on the Truro School website here for junior choristers and here for senior choristers.

Choral Scholars

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 09:32:00 GMT

The ‘back row’ of the choir comprises the adult singers who sing the alto, tenor and bass parts. Is a lively, sociable group, where strong lifelong friendships are formed during the many musical activities undertaken by the choir. Experience performing music by great composers and with an outstanding choir can be invaluable when embarking on a musical career.

Choral scholarships were first set up at Truro Cathedral in 1995; the programme offers five places each year to young altos, tenors and basses pre- or post-university. In addition to a scholarship stipend, accommodation is provided for the scholars, who join the lay vicars to make up the ‘back row’ of Truro Cathedral Choir. Both men and women apply for our alto scholarships.

Many choral scholars join Truro Cathedral for their ‘gap’ year between school and university or music college. Many of our choral scholars have gone on to be members of top choirs at leading universities such as Cambridge and Oxford, and are now in careers as professional musicians. So far our choral scholars have been recruited not only from Britain but also from Holland, South Africa and the USA.

Choral scholars have a busy schedule of services, broadcasts and recordings. The choir has also collaborated with orchestras including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and City of London Sinfonia.

For anyone thinking about becoming a choral scholar, the music department will be pleased to speak to anyone thinking of applying. Please email the director of music jab@trurocathedral.org.uk who will be happy to advise.

Lay Vicars

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 09:32:00 GMT

Many cathedrals employ adult professional musicians to sing in their choirs.

For historic reasons, our adult professional singers are known as lay vicars or lay clerks, but they do not have a religious vocation. Vacancies are advertised and recruitment is open.

Our lay vicars all live and work in Cornwall. They sing the alto, tenor, and bass parts in Truro Cathedral Choir and mould their lives and work around its demanding schedule of services, tours, concerts, and recordings. Recent and upcoming projects include performances with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.

Truro Cathedral Choir also has ‘deputy’ lay vicars who stand-in in the absence of regular members. The director of music, James Anderson-Besant, would be pleased to hear from anyone interested in auditioning for the deputy list.

Contact 01872 276782 or email jab@trurocathedral.org.uk

Recruiting Now for a Lay Vicar (Tenor)

We are now recruiting for a lay vicar (tenor). Please visit our vacancies page to see the job description and download the application form.

The Choir in the Community

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 09:32:00 GMT

Truro Cathedral Choir regularly visits other venues around Cornwall, such as St Mawes, St Tudy, St Endellion, Camborne, and the Isles of Scilly. The choir has also performed further afield, at venues in London and Cambridge, as well as in Austria, France, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden.

One of our objectives is to share our love of music and have a positive impact, not just locally in Truro, but more widely.

Livestreaming has enabled the choir to reach a whole new audience, including people who would otherwise miss out. If you live far from the cathedral, or it is difficult for you to come and hear us in Truro, it is now much easier to enjoy our musical performances and services.

The G7 summit in 2021 inspired us to perform a concert of music from the G7 countries which was viewed world-wide. With the help of a new song composed by Sir Tim Rice and Peter Hobbs, our Sing2G7 project connected our choristers with 27,000 young voices and raised £8,400 for UNICEF’s Vaccinaid appeal, powerfully demonstrating how music can bring young people together.

During the pandemic, our choristers recorded A Million

Dreams from The Greatest Showman in their homes and shared it on YouTube. In March 2022, we recorded a piece of music by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov as part of a Crowdfunder that raised more than £10,000 for UNICEF’s Ukraine appeal. We also worked with the charity Cornwall Hugs Grenfell to create and record a song of solidarity following the fire in 2018.

Our latest initiatives involve livestreamed school assemblies led by our choristers, and a ‘Come and Sing Evensong’ project for children in school year 3. This project has three aims:

To provide a choral taster and share our enthusiasm for this very special form of music
To inspire more children to want to join our choir
To share our expertise and assist teachers to deliver key parts of the music and RE curriculums.

Teachers wishing to find out more should contact 01872 276782 or email jab@trurocathedral.org.uk

Listen to the choir....

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 09:32:00 GMT