The Choir

Music at the Cathedral

The Cathedral takes great pride in the music performed at its services. It is a very important part of the worship, attracting an intense following and great appreciation.

Dr David Flood - Director of Music

David Flood is the Master of the Cathedral choristers and the Cathedral organist. It is his job to lead and oversee the complete music programme.

The Choir and Choristers

The choir consists of 12 lay clerks, men who are professional singers but also work locally, and the 30-strong choristers, boys of 8 - 13 who attend St Edmund's School in Canterbury.

Each year in November David Flood chooses five or six to replace those who leave, auditioning them from the many who apply.

He looks for "an acute ear, the makings of a voice, intelligence and a sparkle in the eye."

The successful applicants receive a substantial scholarship from the Cathedral towards their education, and board in the beautiful Choir House in the Cathedral Precincts. They sing at services on six days a week as well as at all the exciting special events which occur in Canterbury Cathedral.

The choir's repertoire is wide and always expanding, as they learn and perform music from the 13th century to newly-composed works.

In each two-week period there is always a mixture of styles and composers so that there is something for everyone who visits to enjoy and to appreciate. To complete the staff team, the Assistant Organist and the Organ Scholar provide invaluable support and remarkable talent.

The Lay Clerks

The 12 Lay Clerks (4 basses, 4 tenors and 4 countertenors) are gentlemen who have a high standard of vocal training and ability and, while they follow a parallel career in another field, sing for the services during each week. Evensong on a Wednesday is normally sung by the Lay Clerks alone. Since the post of Lay Clerk is part-time (involving an hour or so each evening), it requires great commitment to fit the singing in and around other work. Since services are sung on Saturdays and Sundays, Lay Clerks rarely have a free day. The Canterbury tradition of Cathedral music is something very special indeed, since it is so vibrant and it encompasses both the ancient and the modern. At the services every day, we are given the chance to celebrate the great corpus of music written for the English choral tradition as well as the great examples from other parts of the world, both from Europe and further afield. It is an important heritage and tradition, one which is admired from all over the world, and we are dedicated to maintaining and enhancing it. It is a jewel in our crown.

The Choristers

The Choristers of Canterbury Cathedral sing on six days a week at the Cathedral services, making a vital contribution to the tradition which has continued here for over 1400 years. This is one of the longest-established musical foundations in the world.

Boys join the Cathedral choir at 8 years old and continue until the summer when they are 13. They can come for audition at any time, most often at the age of 7, but a Voice Trial is held each year in November. David Flood is delighted to meet parents and their sons at any time to explain the unique experience of a choristership and to discover and develop exciting new talent.

The Choristers live in the Choir House in the Cathedral Precincts, an ancient and beautiful building which underwent a magnificent renovation in 2008. They attend St Edmund’s School, where they enjoy an excellent and fulfilling academic, musical and all-round education. They therefore enjoy the family community of the Choir House, set in the grounds of the Cathedral, plus the bigger community and facilities of the school: a collaboration enormously appreciated by hundreds of past choristers and their parents.

Each chorister enjoys a substantial scholarship provided by the Dean and Chapter. They also study two musical instruments and have weekly theory classes. When their time comes to move on from the choir, choristers regularly win substantial scholarships to senior schools, either locally or further afield.

The Choir is involved in all the very special events which take place in Canterbury Cathedral and makes recordings, broadcasts and concert appearances on a regular basis. They are greatly in demand for overseas travel, especially as we are pleased to welcome so many pilgrims, visitors and guests from around the world. A Choristership in Canterbury Cathedral is a wonderful adventure and a life-enhancing experience.