Forty-six Trinity choristers, ranging from JBugs to Upper Sixth students, spent the last week of the Easter holidays singing services at Ely Cathedral. The annual choristers’ course has taken place each Easter holiday, barring a break for Covid, for over fifty years and is a very popular trip.
The daily schedule combines rehearsals, evensongs and other activities, including sports, and is punctuated by various special occasions.
The event most keenly anticipated by the boys, though, is the final evening’s entertainment, when the departing Upper Sixth Form choristers (above) present a play, detailing key moments of the course, and then put on an awards ceremony.
Mr Swinson, Director of Music, says, “I can’t remember a more enjoyable course. The boys were great company, led by an outstanding group of Sixth Form students, and they met all the musical challenges head-on and with great enthusiasm.”
Second Year student Christopher Bergs says, “I enjoyed last year but this year was so much better! Last year we struggled to learn the music quickly as we had missed so much due to the pandemic. This year the rehearsals were shorter as we learned the music quickly, so we had lots of time for other activities. I played lots of football, went swimming, played manhunt and badminton.”
One of the chorister’s mothers has shared, “My son said to me this morning, ‘Mum, can you make absolutely sure I’m on the choristers’ course next year – it’s the best week of the whole year!’”
Former Trinity Choristers
A recently introduced event as part of the week is the Alumni Evensong, when former Trinity singers are invited to join the current choir for the Saturday service. This year twelve former choristers of various generations returned and produced a magnificent sound alongside their young colleagues.
Mrs Lewis, Alumni Relations Manager, said, “It was a pleasure to see our alumni join forces with our Trinity Choristers alongside many of the choir parents and other friends of Trinity. Chris Dowie managed to select the loudest stops on the organ to demonstrate the building’s wonderful acoustic.
“Laurie King (Class of 1977), Trinity’s Alumni Ambassador and Archivist, and former Head Chorister, attended and led the group in a post-event catch-up, to reminisce about their experiences as choristers.”
The Alumni Evensong will return next year, save the date: Peterborough Cathedral on Saturday 6 April 2024.
“It was so wonderful to be there. I haven’t taken part in an Evensong since university and not sung for four years, so it was a relief and a surprise that I could, and had, some semblance of pitch, rhythm and sight-reading capability.”
“… it’s great to see a new generation of choristers getting the very same fantastic experience that I did 45 years ago: the Trinity Choristers Cathedral Course is unlike any other school trip, and survives, against the odds!”
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