Both founded in 1880, Truro School and Truro Cathedral have been partners in the Cathedral owned chorister programme since 2015. Truro Cathedral Choir has an unbroken tradition dating back to the 1880s, when services took place in a wooden shed while John Loughborough Pearson’s cathedral was under construction. 2015 marked a significant milestone when girls aged 13-18 years were welcomed into the chorister programme for the first time, enriching the Cathedral’s musical life and laying the foundation for greater inclusivity. In June 2025, Truro Cathedral announced that the 8-13 chorister programme would become mixed gender for the first time, widening access opportunities to all children. The Cathedral’s choristers are renowned for their quality of singing within a friendly musical community.
Truro School has the privilege of being the Cathedral’s chosen school partner for the education of the children chosen by the Cathedral to be its choristers. Truro School is Cornwall’s leading co-educational independent school for children aged 3-18. We are situated over two campuses, the Senior School set within 40 acres of sports fields and open spaces overlooking Truro and its iconic Cathedral, and a vibrant Prep School located next to the Royal Cornwall Hospital. Truro School was founded with an ethos of compassionate ambition. It has high academic standards that are supported and balanced alongside a well-developed and personalised pastoral support network, an educational focus on values, excellent facilities and an extensive range of co-curricular opportunities.
Truro School and Truro Cathedral embody these holistic values in the training, support and nurturing of the Cathedral choristers, who sing at the centre of musical life in the county.
Cathedral Choristers
The choristers each sing a share of the Cathedral’s 7 sung services per week, singing Choral Evensong on 2 or 3 weekdays, and alternating duties on Sundays. With Saturdays usually off and some days free after school during the week, choristers can participate in other co-curricular activities outside the Cathedral.
Choristers rehearse from 8.00-8.45am each weekday morning. Evening duties at the Cathedral (when applicable) are from 4.30-6.10pm; when choristers sing on Sundays (every other week), they are required between 8.45-10.20am and 3.15-5.00pm.
The chorister programme runs for those age 8-13 (across Truro School Prep and Truro School) and the senior chorister programme from age 13-18 (all at Truro School). Choristers aged 11 or older (Year 7 upwards) have the option of boarding. All those younger, in Years 5 and 6, are day pupils at Truro School Prep.
Auditions take place in January for entry the following September; chorister experience days take place for the 8-13 age range in early January and for those 13+ in the preceding November. Anyone interested is encouraged to get in touch at any time during the year, as the Cathedral’s Director of Music is always very happy to meet prospective families, hear children sing informally, and offer advice.
More information is available on the Cathedral’s website about their programme, and on the Truro School website about the opportunities we offer including the scholarships associated with choristership.
