Westminster Abbey Choir School

Westminster Abbey Choir School is a boarding preparatory school for boys in Westminster, London and the only remaining choir school in the United Kingdom which exclusively educates choristers (i.e. only choirboys attend the school). It is located in Dean's Yard, by Westminster Abbey. It educates about 30 boys, aged 8–13 who sing in the Choir of Westminster Abbey, which takes part in state and national occasions as well as singing evensong every day (except Wednesday) and gives concert performances worldwide. Recent tours include to America, Hungary and Moscow. Other tours have included Australia,[1] America and Hong Kong. The school is one of only three choir schools that educate only the male trebles of the choir, the others being Saint Thomas Choir School in New York City and Escolania de Montserrat in Spain. The headmaster is Peter Roberts, former assessment co-ordinator of St George's School, Windsor Castle. The organist and master of the choristers is James O'Donnell, former Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral.

For other uses, see Westminster Abbey (disambiguation).

Westminster Abbey Choir School
Address
20 Dean's Yard

London
,
SW1P 3NY

England
Information
TypeIndependent boarding prep school
Choral foundation school
Cathedral school
Religious affiliation(s)Church of England
Establishedc.1560
1848 (1848)
Local authorityWestminster
Department for Education URN101159 Tables
Chairman of GovernorsThe Very Rev Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster
HeadmasterPeter Roberts
GenderBoys
Age8 to 13
Enrolment30 (2015)
HousesBlow and Purcell
WebsiteOfficial Website

History

The school is believed to have been founded around 1560, as the choir boys of Westminster Abbey have been educated there since Elizabethan times. The present school was built in 1915 (2015 being its centenary year) and underwent renovations in 1990s.

The two houses of the Choir School are named after the musicians John Blow and Henry Purcell, who were both Organists of Westminster Abbey, and who are both buried in the abbey.

Governors

The Chairman of the Governors of the school is the Very Reverend John Hall, Dean of Westminster and former Chief Education Officer for the Church of England.

Inspections

The school was inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in October 2015.

Curriculum

As a choir school, boys are selected by musical ability. The Dean and Chapter meet the cost of their vocal training and at least eighty per cent of the cost of their education. The regular school curriculum is not neglected and pupils are taught the required National Curriculum subjects as well as Latin, French and Greek.[2]

The choir

The choir makes frequent broadcasts and recordings.[3] The choir's most recent recording is a CD of Hubert Parry's Songs of Farewell, which is on Hyperion Records.

Tours

The choir has travelled across the world to perform tours, most recently in Australia, the United States, China, Moscow, Rome, and Hungary. Generally these tours take place once every two years. The choir was due to go to Spain in 2009, but due to the recession it could not go ahead. The choir undertook a choir tour to the US in October 2014, singing in concert halls and churches around the country.

Notable former pupils

Notable staff

In the 1950s, the celebrated singer John Whitworth taught maths at the school.[4]

See also

References
  1. Westminster Abbey Choir tour to Australia
  2. 2015 ISI Inspection report
  3. Recent recordings of Westminster Abbey Choir
  4. Garry Humphreys, John Whitworth: Celebrated countertenor, in The Independent, 15 September 2013, accessed 20 June 2020

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