The
Choir of King’s College owes its existence to King Henry VI who, when
founding the College in 1441, envisaged the daily singing of services in
his magnificent chapel. This remains the Choir’s raison d’être
and is an important part of the lives of its 16 choristers, who are
educated on generous scholarships at the College School, and the 14 Choral
Scholars and two Organ Scholars, who study a variety of subjects at the
College itself.
As
part of King’s College Choir, the Choral Scholars have toured
extensively in Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and the USA. As
‘Collegium Regale’, the group provides entertainment at dinners and
conferences, as well as giving frequent concerts, notably at Easter when
they split into two groups which tour the North and South of England. The
programme for these concerts reveals the breadth of their
repertoire: sacred music from the fifteenth to the twentieth century,
madrigals, folk-songs, part-songs and close harmony. This diversity of
styles reflects the variety of the Choral Scholars’ talents, with groups
such as ‘The Scholars’ and ‘The King’s Singers’ emerging from
their ranks.
If
you would like to book Collegium Regale for a concert or dinner,
please contact the Business Manager on Tel / Fax (01223) 322421.
The
Director of Music of King’s College Choir is always pleased to hear of
prospective Choristers and Choral and Organ Scholars. Please contact him
on (01223) 331224.
The
King’s College Chapel Foundation has been launched to raise funds for
the Choir and to provide for the upkeep of the Chapel. It costs the
College around £500,000 a year to maintain the fabric of the Chapel and
to keep it open for services.
The
object of the Foundation is to ensure that the Chapel and Choir can
continue to move forward, preserving and enhancing their outstanding
reputations, and by so doing, enable visitors, listeners and viewers from
all over the world to delight in the architectural and musical glories of
King’s.
For
further information, please contact King’s College Development Office on
(01223) 331313.