HAVPCD303 – Hear my prayer
HAVPCD303 – Hear my Prayer
Winchester College Chapel Choir
Christopher Tolley, Director of Chapel Music
Founded in 1382 by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and twice Chancellor of England, Winchester College is one of the oldest and best-known schools in Great Britain. Wykeham?s original foundation included 70 scholars, and although the school has now grown tenfold in size, the same number of scholars continues to live in medieval chambers next to the College Hall and Chapel. Wykeham also made provision for 16 singing-boys called Quiristers, whose duty was to sing at Chapel services.
For over 600 years, Winchester College has maintained its ancient choral foundation, and the Quiristers now form the treble line in Winchester College Chapel Choir, besides singing a good deal in their own right as a boys? concert choir.
The lower voices in the Chapel Choir are provided by senior pupils (and some staff) from the College, many of whom have themselves been Quiristers or choristers at cathedrals and other choral foundations.
Winchester College Chapel Choir sings a full range of choral services in the College Chapel. It gives recitals, broadcasts and records for BBC Radio and Television, and makes regular tours abroad, most recently to Canada and Hong Kong. The current Quiristers have been particularly successful in the BBC Young Chorister of the Year Competition, winning the title in 2001, 2003 and 2004. All three winners (Nicholas Stenning, Harry Sever and Thomas Jesty) are featured on the Herald recordings HAVPCD276 – Something’s Coming” and HAVPCD303 – Hear My Prayer.
BBC Young Choiristers of the Year 2003-2004.
