Winchester Cathedral Choir

Among England's storied choral traditions built around boy choristers and adult lay clerks, the Winchester Cathedral Choir ranks among the most distinguished. Beyond its regular service music at the cathedral, the ensemble presents concerts, appears frequently on BBC broadcasts, and maintains an extensive recorded catalog.

The choir's formal history likely reaches to the late fourteenth century, when payment records first mention an organist in 1402. Yet sacred music has resounded within the building since its establishment in 1079, making the structure one of Britain's most venerable and architecturally imposing cathedrals. Twenty-two boy choristers currently fill the treble line, drawn from across the United Kingdom and farther afield. Between the ages of eight and thirteen, they study at the cathedral's Pilgrims' School, where a scholarship meets sixty percent of fees while they pursue a standard curriculum alongside their musical training. New members begin with a probationary phase marked by a red cassock and white ruff before advancing to an all-white vestment upon full acceptance. Places are awarded through open auditions, and families interested in the process may arrange visits to the music department for detailed information.

These trebles are supported by twelve salaried professional lay clerks. Larger repertory often incorporates the Cathedral Girls' Choir, founded in 1999, along with the Cathedral Nave Choir and the Cathedral Youth and Junior Choirs. Andrew Lumsden has led the ensemble since 2002. Its discography stretches back to the LP period, with recent projects appearing chiefly on Hyperion, PentaTone Classics, Eloquence, and Regent. In 2019 Hyperion issued the choir's recording of John Tavener's choral works.