Music Durham
Chapel Choirs
Durham Chapel choirs provide extremely exciting opportunities for choral music.
One of the many of benefits of Durham’s collegiate system is the number of choirs it supports, this means Durham fosters a very high standard of choral music. Half of colleges have their own chapel choir and these cater for all abilities from small, select auditioned groups that sing up to two services a week to those which are non-auditioned and have a more relaxed schedule.
It does not matter which college you are from, the choirs are made up of students from across the university, and you can join as many as you would like to – providing their timetables do not compete! Joining a chapel choir whilst studying at Durham affords you the opportunities of singing in the Cathedral and other further-flung venues including summer tours and even to participate in CD recordings.
There are plenty of exciting opportunities in Durham for choral conductors and organists too. Whilst some chapel choirs are directed by professional musicians, most are led and conducted by undergraduate or postgraduate students and there are numerous choral and organ scholarships available both in the University and locally.
University College
University College Chapel Choir is a selective audition ensemble of sixteen to twenty choral scholars and choristers. Music in chapel is led by a student team, comprised of the Director of Music, the Assistant Director of Music, Organ Scholar, and Assistant Organist. The Chapel Music team also supports a Compline Choir and a Consort of Instruments for special services. Singers are a mix of undergrad and postgrad members of Castle and other colleges within the university and represent diverse backgrounds and areas of study. The choir’s mission is to perform sacred music of the highest quality in the service of traditional Anglican liturgy in the grandeur of Castle’s two chapels, the 11th century Norman Chapel and the 16th century Tunstall Chapel. Castle Chapel is traditional in its style of worship and has a busy choir schedule, offering weekly Evensong and Eucharist services as well as numerous special services, concerts, recordings, and tours.
Hatfield College
Hatfield College Chapel Choir is made up of approximately 20 singers who audition at the beginning of the academic year. Hatfield is known for their social life as well as high-quality music-making. Whilst most of the singers are Hatfielders, many come from other colleges too. The Choir currently rehearses on Monday evenings and sings Choral Evensong every Tuesday in term-time but also numerous extra services throughout the year. In recent years, the choir has sung at Ripon and Chester Cathedrals, as well as Sherborne Abbey, York Minster and regularly singing in Durham Cathedral (usually once a term). The choir goes on tour each summer. Eight choral scholarships are awarded in the middle of the Michaelmas term worth £100 by the College on the recommendation of the Director of Music. Scholars are selected not only for their singing ability but also commitment, attendance and attitude. The Chapel Choir at Hatfield is student led. The Director of Music is usually a student at the College and there are two organ scholarships also available.
St Hild & St Bede College
The Chapel Choir at College is quite exceptional, and is auditioned every year in Freshers week.
The choir sings two services a week in term time: Choral Evensong on a Wednesday at 6.00pm and the College Eucharist on a Sunday at 11.00am. Members of the public are also welcome to attend our services. Details of all our regular services can be found on the termly Chapel card on the Chaplaincy website. The choir regularly sing in Cathedrals, both in Great Britain and across the World. The Chapel is also used for concerts and recordings.
St John's College
The College Chapel (Church of St Mary the Less) is home to the sixteen-strong choir, who lead the singing during worship. In the last year the choir has sung at Durham, Ripon and Edinburgh St Mary’s Cathedrals, and York Minster, and have featured regularly on Radio 4’s Daily Service programme. A summer tour took choir members to the Bordeaux region of southern France, and a tour to Rome for Summer 2015 is currently being planned. The College offers a scholarship to students who sing as part of the choir during their studies.
Grey College
Grey Choir is a relaxed alternative to the often stressful Durham choir scene. The choir holds termly concerts and college services, ensuring the repertoire is a mix of sacred and secular music from the classical choral tradition, and rehearses weekly. These fewer commitments ensure the choir can concentrate on performing to a really high standard on the occasions they do perform, and make the choir into a friendly and welcoming group of people with regular social events and admittance onto college formals. The choir offers four choral scholarships for singers who are more confident in leading their sections, and there are a number of executive positions for members who wish to contribute more to the choir in a way not requiring greater singing responsibilities.
St Chad's College
St Chad's Choir employs a professional Director of Music. The choir is big and friendly, with high musical standards and expectations. Choir commitments are based around the College Chapel Services. (Typically a Eucharist on Sunday morning and a midweek Choral Evensong or Choral Eucharist). The range of music is very wide, with settings by Byrd and Palestrina through to Stanford and Howells. In addition, the Choir is privileged to sing in Durham Cathedral once or twice each term. The College's annual Advent Procession in the Cathedral is undoubtedly a highlight in this respect. The choir always goes on tour : 2013 Paris, 2014 Prague, 2015 New York. St Chad's choir also undertakes concerts and visits across the region and beyond, and records CDs from time to time."
St Mary's
The Chapel Choir is a group of singers from both within St. Mary's College, Durham and other colleges in the university. We lead worship in services both in the chapel and in other venues in Durham such as the beautiful Cathedral, which was the original home of the college.
St Cuthberts' Society
The choir performs a varied repertoire of music at different venues ranging from Durham Catherdral to garden parties and college formals. Mainly, the choir sings a mix of sacred and secular music, regularly performing eucharist at St Margaret's church. The choirs performances, however, are not confined to just Durham. This year we plan on visting other venues in the north, such as Ripon and York.