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Biography
Portal|AnglicanismThe '''Choir of King's College, Cambridge''' is one of today's most accomplished and renowned representatives of the great British choral tradition. It was created by Henry VI of England|King Henry VI , who founded King's College, Cambridge in 1441, to provide daily singing in his King's College Chapel, Cambridge|Chapel , which remains the main task of the choir to this day.
Today the choir is directed by Stephen Cleobury and derives much of its fame from the Nine Lessons and Carols|Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols , broadcast worldwide to millions on Christmas Eve every year, and the TV service Carols from King's which accompanies it.
Membership of the Choir
The statutes of the College provide for sixteen choristers. These are boys who are educated at King's College School Cambridge|King's College School . From the beginning of the 20th Century fourteen Undergraduates have also sung in the choir as Choral scholar|Choral Scholars .
Former members of the Choir (including Directors of Music and Organ Scholars) are able to join the King's College Choir Association.
Directors of Music
The Choir is conducted by the Director of Music, a Fellow of the College.
The fourteen Choral Scholars are male students (usually Undergraduates) at the College. Choral Scholars must succeed at both the general entry requirements of the College as well as the http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/musicawards/choral.html Choral Trials in order to join the Choir.
Two of the Choral Scholars are assigned the role of Beater, as Senior and Junior Beater (traditionally the Senior Choral Scholar and his pre-chosen successor); these two are also usually responsible for the direction of Collegium Regale. These two Choral Scholars usually 'beat' (conduct while in the stalls) the psalms , and often the introit , during the service, even when the Director of Music is present.
Very occasionally, a Lay Clerk may be appointed in place of a Choral Scholar, usually if a vacancy arises unexpectedly: for example, when a student, having gained a conditional place at the college (subject to A-level grades being achieved) fails to meet the conditions. Such Lay Clerks have, to all intents and purposes, the same status as a Choral Scholar. The few Lay Clerks that have existed (since the establishment of Choral Scholars) have often been Choral Scholars agreeing to remain for an additional year.
The Choral Scholars form collectively, in their spare time, a separate group, Collegium Regale (Latin for 'King's College'), which sings a wide range of music written for men's voices, from early music through to Barbershop music|Barbershop arrangements (many of the latter having been written exclusively for the group by present/former Choral Scholars).
Groups spawned from the Choral Scholars
Various singing groups have been spawned from groups of Choral Scholars:
http://www.collegiumregale.co.uk/ Collegium Regale, made up of the current Choral Scholars
The King's Singers (1968–present)
The Scholars (Vocal Group)|The Scholars (1968-2010) and The Scholars Baroque Ensemble
Pange Lingua, directed by Berty Rice (1990s)
Polyphony (choir)|Polyphony (1986–present)
Notable former members
Ralph Allwood - Precentor and Director of Music, Eton College
Clive Carey - Baritone and composer
Michael Chance - Countertenor
Sir Andrew Davis (conductor)|Andrew Davis - Conductor
The organ is played by two Organ Scholar s, who, like the Choral Scholars, are students (typically undergraduates) at the College. An Organ Scholarship is awarded as necessary to ensure that there are always two undergraduate Organists in the College - a new Scholar is appointed to arrive when the previous one graduates.
If the Director of Music is not present for any reason, an Organ Scholar takes responsibility for conducting the Choir.
Tours
The Choir often tours externally, usually involving longer tours in the summer and at Christmas, and shorter stays throughout the year.
Previous tours have included:
1982 - Japan
1983 - Australia and New Zealand
1984 - Belgium, Holland, West Germany
1985 - USA and Canada
1986 - Finland, Germany (East & West)
1987 - Japan
1988 - Spain and USA
1989 - Australia and New Zealand
1990 - Italy, Switzerland, France
1991 - USA
1992 - France
1993 - Holland and Australia
1994 - Holland, Italy, Belgium, Spain, France
1995 - Bermuda, USA, Germany, Belgium, France, Holland
1996 - Denmark and South Africa
1997 - Barbados, USA and Canada
Summer 1998 - Hong Kong and Australia
January 2000 - Bermuda
April 2000 - France (Paris)
July-August 2000 - Far East (Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Tokyo) and the USA
June 2001 - Netherlands (Haarlem)
September 2001 - Belgium
December 2001 - France (Paris)
April 2001 - Greece (Athens, Thessaloniki)
July-August 2001 - Australia
Summer 2002 - Belgium
Summer 2003 - Germany
December 2003 - Netherlands
Summer 2004 - Hong Kong
December 2004 - USA
July 2005 - Germany
September 2005 - Italy (Turin) and Belgium
December 2005 - Switzerland, Holland
January 2006 - Italy (Genoa, Florence and Perugia)
May 2006 - Germany (Stuttgart)
September 2006 - Sweden (Gothenburg)
December 2006 - Far East (Korea and Singapore)
June 2007 - Turkey (Istanbul Festival)
August 2007 - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland
September 2007 - France (Ambronay) and Germany (Bonn)
December 2007 - Brazil (São Paulo)
April 2008 - USA (New York, Chicago, St Louis, Baltimore, Dallas, St. Paul/Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Westport CT, Ann Arbor MI)
September 2008 - Italy (Stresa Festival) and Belgium (Gent Festival)
November 2008 - Portugal (Porto)
December 2008 - Italy (Rome) and Netherlands (Amsterdam and Eindhoven)
July 2009 - Singapore (Singapore), China (Hong Kong) and China/Taiwan (Taipei)
Recordings
Recent recordings under the http://emiclassics.com/phpNewSite/home.html EMI Classics label include:
