During the Easter break, a group of 39 students from the Junior Year to the Upper Sixth took part in the annual choristers’ course. This musical excursion has taken place every year since 1965 (apart from those missed due to the pandemic) and is a great tradition for Trinity School, Croydon, and our wider music community.
This year, the students were accommodated in Oundle School, where they had access to the swimming pool and other sports facilities and sang daily services at Peterborough Cathedral from Wednesday 3 April to Sunday 7 April.
Before that, the choir presented an exciting performance of Handel’s Messiah in King’s Lynn Minster. On this occasion the choir was accompanied by a specialist baroque orchestra and the four outstanding soloists who were well known to the students: Head of Singing, Ms Katharine Fuge; singing teacher, Ms Annie Gill; Director of Choral Music designate, Mr Nicholas Mulroy; and Jan-Hendrik Jensch, the director of the boys’ choir from Kiel, Germany.
The highlight of the course, as always, was the alumni evensong on Saturday when over 30 former Trinity choristers of many different generations joined forces with the current choir to produce a spectacular sound, witnessed by a large congregation of families and well-wishers. Well done to all students and alumni involved this year, for another successful and enjoyable course.
As this was Mr David Swinson’s final course, he took time to thank organist, Christopher Dowie, for his contribution over very many years: Christopher has played for almost every course since 1965. Christopher and his wife, Pauline, have been huge and generous supporters of Trinity music over many years and Christopher has decided that this year’s course will be his last. Mr Swinson also thanked former chorister, Mr Martin French, for his support over many years: Mr French has helped to organise most of the courses, liaising with cathedrals throughout the UK.
Next year’s course will take a slightly different shape as it will be a collaboration with the Kiel Boys’ Choir from northern Germany, with concerts planned in both the UK and Germany.
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