Earlier this term I was invited to attend a special playback of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem taken from the original 1963 recording, conducted by Britten himself and featuring a choir of young Highgate choristers.
It was an amazing event on many levels. Sitting in the Dolby Screening Room and experiencing the vivid sound quality was extraordinary, especially for a piece that I love and have sung myself. We were joined by some Highgate alumni to celebrate their contribution to the recording and as we heard Britten giving notes to the boys and the orchestra, it was like being in the room with him. Whilst some of the Highgate alumni from that original recording went on to pursue careers in music – John Rutter included – many did not. And yet, as they told me afterwards, music has remained a vital part of their life, some 60 years later.
For me, that lifelong love and appreciation of singing is profound, even if you don’t go on to become a musician professionally. Regardless of your career journey, having music as part of your life and sharing that passion with others is so powerful for mental health, creativity, providing a sense of community and purpose, and a chance to make friendships, at any stage of your life.
Highgate’s long tradition of choral singing is a defining feature of the school, and one that really called to me in my aspiration to work here; I wanted to be at a school where singing was valued. Our choir programme has no direct link to the academic music curriculum, but – in line with our mantra that ‘music is for all’ – we want everyone to be involved in singing if they would like to be, in whatever style and type of group they prefer.
On the whole school level, I’ve been running regular congregational practice in breaktime Chapel services. We choose two hymns every time – I sing a line and they sing it back – so that in following weeks the pupils feel more confident in their singing. In addition, we hold a House Singing competition for all pupils in Y9-13, which is incredibly popular. Whether a pupil has created the arrangement, sang a solo, or merely been part of the chorus, there is such an exciting energy to this event for both musical enjoyment and team bonding.
We think carefully about the choral journey that pupils will make, through both the Junior School provision, and for when pupils join us in the Senior School. Our programme offers ensemble options that anyone can access, regardless of their entry point.

In the Junior School, pupils can join Junior School Chorus with no prior singing experience. Children sing a selection of secular contemporary music, forming the flagship choir for school events. Choral progression is catered for at Boys’/Girls’ Chapel Choir and Chamber Choir; auditioned ensembles that provide a framework to develop children’s sight-reading and aural skills as well as vocal technique.
When pupils join us in Y7&8 of the Senior School they have an option to be in Contemporary Choir, singing popular contemporary music and musical theatre. It is open to all (there is no audition), and they perform in a concert at the end of each term.
I introduced Training Choir six years ago, which is a step up for lower school Senior School pupils to focus more on choral skills, aural awareness, some sight-reading practice and singing in different parts (no audition required). It has helped to fill the gap in our training programme, from Y7 all the way through to Y13.
From there, we have various levels of auditioned ensembles, from Chapel Choir (144 pupils) moving up to Chorale (38 pupils) and then Consort (13 pupils), offering an increasingly challenging repertoire and a lot more opportunities to perform. There must be some element of either strong aural awareness, being able to sing back melodies or at least a basic sight-reading understanding because we learn repertoire quite quickly. If pupils don’t get into these groups initially, the Training Choir is a perfect alternative. They can train for a few years and then re-audition and move up through the choirs.
Chorale is the flagship group who perform at all the main school events. We currently have 38 pupils, which is the biggest it’s ever been, and learn a lot of varied and challenging repertoire including Jonathan Dove’s ‘The Passing of the Year’ which sets seven texts, featuring poetry by Blake, Dickinson and Tennyson, for double choir and piano. They’ve already performed at Open Day, Remembrance, the Michaelmas Concert and Advent Service, and are readying themselves for our Carol services. Next term, Chorale, along with the Chapel Choirs and singers from LAET, will perform Mozart’s Requiem at Southwark Cathedral, and Chorale will also enter Barnardo’s National Choir Competition.
I created Consort six years ago, as I felt there was scope for an even higher-level vocal ensemble. It’s a much smaller group of auditioned singers and sight reading is a necessity. The group put on Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell last term, which was challenging but they did an exceptional job. Consort rehearsals provide the pupils with focused choral training, often with a view to being ready to audition for a choral scholarship at university, so we aim to cover everything that might entail.
In addition to the formal choirs, we also run a cappella groups, which offer a chance for pupils to have a go at a one-to-a-part, close-harmony singing, with opportunities to perform throughout the year. I’m running a Musical Theatre Showcase evening next term, which will include ensemble numbers, duets and solos from musicals, and we even have a staff choir, who rehearse every Friday and sing services in chapel, as well as a few surprise performances for the pupils.
One of my first objectives when I took on the Head of Choral Music role was to get more boys singing and I’m delighted that we now have almost 50 singers in the Boys’ Chapel Choir. Many of the backline (tenors and basses) have been singing with me since they were in Y3 of the Junior School, and it has been a privilege to watch and support them on their journey through our choral pathway.
Wherever our pupils end up, in whatever field of study, my hope is that the enduring and accessible power of music can enrich their lives. If we can instil that sense of purpose, community and love of music making within our pupils, hopefully they will go out into the world and be nicer, better people for it.