A particular focus of singing in the school is the Chapel. In addition to weekly chapel assemblies, our four Chapel Choirs (involving around 90 pupils) sing in regular Sunday Choral Evensong services during term time, with extra highlights being the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at Christmas and visits to Cathedrals to sing services (recently this has included St Paul’s London, St Alban’s, Lichfield, Worcester, Gloucester, Tewkesbury Abbey and St George’s Chapel, Windsor). In addition, the choirs have sung on live broadcasts on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Daily Service’.

The school’s Chapel Choir is of an exceptionally high standard, with many singers and organists winning scholarships to leading universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. The vocal and all-round musical training the pupils gain from this is very special but, set in the context of a coeducational day school and term-time only commitments, allows the pupils still to have time to develop many other co-curricular skills in an academically thriving environment. All singers are encouraged to learn an instrument too, to complement their musical development.

The choirs have also toured abroad (2024: Verona; 2018: Salzburg; 2016: Normandy). The vocal and all-round musical training the pupils gain from this is very special but, set in the context of a coeducational day school and term-time only commitments, allows the pupils still to have time to develop many other co-curricular skills in an academically thriving environment. All singers are encouraged to learn an instrument too, to complement their musical development.

The Chapel also has a fine Nicholson organ, which was restored in 2008.

For further information, please contact the Head of Chapel Music, Mr C Alger