The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York – or to give it its more familiar name, York Minster – is one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals. For centuries, the Minster has been at the centre of Christianity in the north of England and today remains a thriving church rooted in the daily offering of worship and prayer.
The shared heritage between York Minster and St Peter’s School can be traced back to the year AD627, when the School and the Minster were founded in on the same site by St Paulinus of York.
St Peter’s School has been the choir school for York Minster since 2020.
Our Choristers
Becoming a chorister is a life-changing opportunity. Choristers develop key skills, make friends for life, and discover a joy of music that will last a lifetime.
Choristers also take part in recordings, live TV and radio broadcasts, and international tours under the direction of Robert Sharpe, Director of Music at York Minster.
A typical day in the life of a chorister includes a rehearsal before school starts, followed by a rehearsal and Choral Evensong after school. The boys and girls share these duties equally, so each child sings every other day. At weekends there are four services at the Minster, which are also shared and Choristers have one weekend off and one weekend on. This schedule starts in their second year, and for the first year pupils attend rehearsals but not services.
There are 16 girl and 16 boy choristers at York Minster who collectively sing with 12 adult singers at eight services each week as part of the world-class York Minster Choir. Their daily routine is carefully scheduled to make sure that the choristers can take full advantage of other exciting opportunities offered by the school too, such as extra-curricular activities.
Every year we recruit 4 girl and 4 boy choristers to join the choir in Year 4. Initially they will be Probationary Choristers until they are read in after their first year. Chorister auditions take place in the January prior to a September start.
Choristers benefit from an outstanding all-round education at St Peter’s School alongside the chance to sing in one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals each day. All choristers benefit from a substantial reduction in school fees and 100% means-tested bursaries are available.
For more information on becoming a York Minster Chorister please visit York Minster Choristers, St Peter’s School.
