The current cathedral choir is the direct descendant of the monastic choir which sang in the cathedral virtually since it was founded in 680.
In 1541, King Henry VIII established the King’s School to provide the choristers for the newly re-founded Church of England cathedral following the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Today, boy and girl choristers hold scholarships to attend the King’s School or its prep school, King’s St Alban’s School.
A succession of notable directors of music have illuminated the worship in the cathedral, particularly Thomas Tomkins (1596), Jeremiah Clarke (1806), Hugh Blair (1892), Sir Ivor Atkins (1897), Sir David Willcocks (1950), Christopher Robinson (1963) and Donald Hunt (1974). Worcester also has an indelible connection with Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) who spent many years of his life in and around Worcester and premièred many works in the cathedral, particularly at the Three Choirs Festival.
Our Choristers
Boy and girl choristers sing four to five services each week, currently combined into one treble line. The typical weekly pattern during term time is given below.
- Monday – Evensong
- Tuesday – Cathedral Choir day off
- Wednesday – Evensong (Choral Scholars only)
- Thursday – Evensong
- Friday – Evensong (alternating between full choir one week and lower voices the next)
- Saturday – Evensong (SATB lay clerks and scholars)
- Sunday – Morning Eucharist and Evensong
All choristers attend King’s St Alban’s School (prep school to King’s Worcester) until Year 6 and transfer to King’s Worcester from Year 7. All choristers receive a 30% remission during their time as a chorister.
All choristers are day pupils and there is no option to board.
Usually, choristers enter the choir in Year 3 as probationers.
Auditions are held throughout the year.
