Choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle

The Quire of St George's Chapel, by Charles Wild, from W.H. Pyne's Royal Residences, 1818.

The Choir of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle exists to sing services in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

It has been in existence since 1348 and, with the exception of the Commonwealth period (1649–1660), has sung services in the Chapel continuously ever since.

The choir today

The choir comprises up to 23 boy choristers (5 of whom are probationers or training choristers) and 12 professional Lay Clerks, singing Countertenor, tenor and bass.. The Choir sings at Evensong each day (except Wednesdays) and twice on Sunday mornings during the three terms of the College year. The choristers are educated at St George's School, Windsor Castle which is situated in the Castle grounds. The Lay Clerks live in the Horseshoe Cloister and on Denton's Commons.

The choir sings regularly in the presence of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family. Significant recent events have included:

Concerts are also given from time to time, some collaborating with ensembles such as the London Concert Orchestra, the London Handel Orchestra, Southbank Sinfonia and the London Mozart Players. The choir also broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4.

The choir is directed by the Director of Music and accompanied an Assistant Organist, plus an organ scholar who is selected by audition on an annual basis.

Tours

  • 2017 – Netherlands (the Choir sang at Sint Bavo's Cathedral)
  • 2015 – Germany (the Choir sang in the Theatinerkirche)
  • 2013 – Germany and Austria (the Lay Clerks sang in Nuremberg, Munich and Salzburg)
  • 2007 – United States (the Choir sang in Boston and Washington DC)
  • 2006 – United States (the Choir sang in New York City at The British Memorial Garden on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The Choir also sang at a Gala Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel to raise money for the New York Downtown Hospital, where many of the casualties were taken following 9/11 as well as singing Evensong at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York. This was the first appearance of the Choir in the US for over 20 years.)

Other overseas appearances include Norway, France, Holland, Poland, Spain and Switzerland

Recordings

Recent recordings include:

  • 2011 – Celebrate Christmas
  • 2006 – O How Glorious is the Kingdom
  • 2006 – W H Harris Anthems
  • 2005 – Music for a Royal Celebration
  • 2005 – Abide with Me
  • 2003 – Carols from Windsor Castle
  • 2002 – Carols from Windsor Castle
  • 2001 – Tomkins Cathedral Music
  • 2001 – Carols from Windsor Castle
  • 2000 – Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis Vol 21
  • 2000 – The Glory of St George's
  • 1999 – Mathias: Lux Aeterna
  • 1996 – David Fanshawe: African Sanctus (with Bournemouth Symphony Chorus)
  • 1994 – Parry Cathedral Music
  • 1994 – Tavener Sacred Works
  • 1993 – Saint Nicolas & Hymn to Saint Cecilia (with Corydon Singers)
  • 1984 – 20 Christmas Carols from Saint George's Chapel, Windsor Castle

List of Organists and Masters of Choristers (known as 'Director of Music' from 2004)

Sub organists

  • Richard Frank Martin Akerman 1908 – 1924
  • Malcolm Boyle 1925 – 1932
  • Reginald Alwyn Surplice 1932 – 1945[1][2]
  • John Morehen 1968 – 1972
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Assistant Organists

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Assistant Directors of Music

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Organ Scholars

  • Peter J Williams 1965–1966[3]
  • John Porter 1965–1967 (later Assistant Organist here)
  • John Taylor 1965–1967 (then Assistant Organist of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh)
  • George Watson 1967 - 1967
  • Terence Atkins 1967–1969 (now Organist and Choirmaster at St John the Baptist Parish Church, Chipping Barnet)
  • Jason Smart 1969–1972
  • Francis Grier 1972–1973 (afterwards Organ Scholar of King's College, Cambridge; later Organist and Master of the Choristers at Christ Church, Oxford)
  • Colin Walsh 1973–1974 (afterwards Organ Scholar of Christ Church Oxford; later Assistant Organist Salisbury Cathedral, Organist St Albans Cathedral, now Organist Laureate Lincoln Cathedral)
  • Christopher Brayne 1974–1975 (later Organist and Master of the Choristers of Bristol Cathedral; now Director of Music at Christ Church, Charlotte, North Carolina)
  • Thomas Trotter 1975–1976 (afterwards Organ Scholar of King's College, Cambridge, later Organist of St Margaret's Church, Westminster and Birmingham City Organist)
  • Adrian Partington 1977–1978 (afterwards Organ Scholar of King's College, Cambridge; currently Director of Music Gloucester Cathedral)
  • Harry Bicket 1978–1980 (Director, The English Concert)
  • Wayne Marshall 1980–1983
  • Iain Simcock 1983–1984
  • Neil Kelly 1984–1986
  • Andrew Nethsingha 1986–1987 (afterwards Organ Scholar of St John's College, Cambridge; currently Director of Music at St John's College, Cambridge)
  • Roger Muttitt 1987–1988 (currently Director of Music at Durham School)
  • Philip Scriven 1988–1990 (afterwards Organ Scholar of St John's College, Cambridge; then Sub-Organist of Winchester Cathedral; later Organist and Master of the Choristers at Lichfield Cathedral)
  • Mark Wardell 1990–1991 (later Assistant Organist of Chichester Cathedral)
  • Jonathan Lilley 1991–1992 (later Sub-Organist at Leeds Parish Church; then Assistant Organist at Ely Cathedral; currently Organist of Waltham Abbey Church)
  • Christopher Allsop 1992–1993 (afterwards Trinity College, Cambridge; assistant at St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham; currently Assistant Organist of Worcester Cathedral)
  • Matthew Raisbeck 1993–1994
  • Greg Morris 1994–1995 (currently Associate Organist Temple Church, London)
  • Iain Farrington 1995–1996 (then Organ Scholar of St John's College, Cambridge)
  • Myles Hartley 1996–1997
  • Teilhard Scott 1997–1999
  • Jonathan Vaughn 1999–2000 (afterwards Organ Scholar of St John's College, Cambridge; then Assistant Organist of Wells Cathedral)
  • Robert Kwan 2000–2001 (Assistant to the Organist-Choirmaster, Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Westport, CT; currently Director of Music, Trinity Episcopal Church, Southport, CT, USA)
  • Francesca Massey 2001–2002 (Acting Assistant Organist September–December 2001; afterwards Organ Scholar of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge; currently Sub-Organist of Durham Cathedral)
  • Tom Winpenny 2002–2003 (Acting Assistant Organist; then Organ Scholar of King's College, Cambridge; then Sub-Organist, St Paul's Cathedral; currently Assistant Master of the Music, St Albans Cathedral)
  • Henry Parkes 2003–2004 (Acting Assistant Organist September–December 2003; then Organ Scholar of Christ Church, Oxford; later Associate Director of Music All Saints, Margaret Street, London)
  • Ben Giddens 2004–2005 (afterwards Organ Scholar Norwich Cathedral; subsequently Acting Assistant Organist at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle; later Assistant Organist Magdalen College, Oxford)
  • Peter Stevens 2005–2006 (afterwards Organ Scholar of King's College, Cambridge; currently Assistant Master of Music, Westminster Cathedral)
  • John Challenger 2006–2008 (afterwards Organ Scholar of St John's College, Cambridge; currently Assistant Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral)
  • Laurence Williams 2008–2009 (afterwards Choral Scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge; currently Assistant Organist at Waltham Abbey Church)
  • Alexander Binns 2009–2010 (afterwards studied organ at the Royal Academy of Music, London whilst Organ Scholar at Marylebone Parish Church, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, and Southwark Cathedral, currently Assistant Director of Music at St Edmundsbury Cathedral)
  • Ben Bloor 2010–2011 (afterwards Organ Scholar of New College, Oxford; later Organ Scholar of Westminster Cathedral; currently Organist of the London Oratory, Brompton)
  • Adam Mathias 2011–2012 (afterwards Organ Scholar of Emmanuel College, Cambridge)
  • Joseph Beech 2012–2013 (afterwards studied organ at the Royal Academy of Music, London, whilst Organ scholar of Brompton Oratory and then St Paul's Cathedral; currently Assistant Master of the Music, St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh)
  • Glen Dempsey 2013–2014 (currently Organ Scholar of St John's College, Cambridge)
  • Alexander Hamilton 2014–2015 (afterwards Organ Scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge; currently Organ Scholar of Westminster Abbey)
  • Asher Oliver 2015–2016 (currently Organ Scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge)
  • Benjamin Newlove 2016–2017 (undergraduate organ studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London, whilst Organ Scholar of St Michael's, Cornhill and St. Stephen's, Gloucester Road)
  • Jason Richards 2017–2018 (currently Organ Scholar of Jesus College, Cambridge)
  • Lucy Morrell 2018-present

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ Organists and Masters of the Choristers of St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Historical monographs relating to St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle Volume 3. Edmund Fellowes (1939)
  2. ↑ Who's who in Music. Fourth Edition. 1962. p.205
  3. ↑ The following note in the first person, intended as a correction, was written and added here by Peter J Williams. The entry for Graham Elliott, to which he objected, has been removed. ("Graham Elliott was NOT an Organ Scholar but a private pupil of Dr Sidney Campbell. I went in 1964 as a private PA to Dr. Campbell and then became the first Organ Scholar, along with John Porter who stayed on when I went to be Assistant Organist at York Minster 1966. Many of these dates are wrong!")
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