Life as a Quirister
When William of Wykeham founded Winchester College in 1382 he made provision for 16 young boys between the ages of 9 and 13 to sing in the Chapel.
The school has maintained this same choral foundation for more than 600 years and the Quiristers, or Qs as they are usually known, form a vital part of Winchester College’s Chapel Choir. The lower parts of the Chapel Choir are sung by senior boys from the school, some of whom have themselves been Qs.
Hear from the pupils, their teachers and their boarding house team, in this short film about life as a Q.
Join the choir
Quirister Auditions
Boys currently in Year 4 are warmly invited to audition in January to join the choir in September. Please email the team to book your place or arrange an informal pre-audition.
If your son or grandson loves to sing and is currently in Year 3, 4 or 5, please join us on Saturday 12th October 2024 for the ‘Be a Quirister for an afternoon’ event. There, attendees will get to experience life as a Quirister and sing with the famous Chapel Choir. Please use the link below to register your interest.
Opportunites
A Quirister’s routine is more varied than that of most choristers. The pattern of worship in the Chapel involves regular choral services, in which the choir performs a great range of church music. However, Choral Evensong is not sung every day, so the Quiristers also have time to sing a wide secular repertoire.
The Quiristers perform regularly in the UK and have a busy recording schedule. Recent recordings include Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols on BBC Radio 4, Choral Evensong on BBC Radio 3, and Classic FM’s annual Christmas concert.
In 2020, the Chapel Choir released a Christmas CD, A Winter's Night, (Signum Records). They also recorded at Abbey Road studios for the Carols by Candlelight charity concert held annually at St Luke's, Chelsea.
Quiristers have enjoyed success as finalists of the BBC Young Chorister of the Year competition, winning on three recent occasions.
Tours are one of the highlights of the Quirister calendar and in recent years the choir has visited Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Italy, Holland, France and the USA.
Education
Quiristers are weekly or full boarders at The Pilgrims’ School, a thriving boys-only prep school located next to Winchester College. They receive a scholarship worth 40 per cent of the school’s full boarding fee, with additional means-tested bursaries available, as well as free instrumental tuition and vocal training. Instrumental practice takes place in the College's Music School. Most Quiristers will achieve a senior school music award.
In addition to a first class academic education at Pilgrims’, the Quiristers regularly play competitive sport and enjoy the wider co-curricular offering of the prep school.
Meet the team
The Chapel Choir is led by Director of Chapel Music and Choral Partnerships, Dónal McCann, supported by Benjamin Cunningham, Assistant Director of Chapel Music.
The Quiristers are looked after by the Q Housemaster who, alongside the Q Matron, is primarily responsible for their welfare. The Housemaster, Director of Chapel Music and Pilgrims' staff, are in regular contact to make sure that the Quiristers have the best possible pastoral care and support.
Becoming a Quirister
Boys usually become Quiristers in Year 5 and remain in the choir for four years. Occasionally, there may be an opportunity to enter the choir in other year groups.
Formal auditions are usually held in January, but an informal pre-audition with Howard can be arranged at any time, usually when a boy is in Year 3 or Year 4. This provides an opportunity for boys and parents to ask any questions and seek advice about next steps. No special preparation is needed.
Auditions are arranged via The Pilgrims' School team and you can email them with any questions about the process, via the link below.
Dónal McCann
Head of Chapel Music and Choral Partnerships
Dónal directs the College’s Chapel Choir, and is responsible for the musical education of the Quiristers. In his new role as Head of Choral Partnerships, he fosters relationships locally and further afield, creating new and inspiring musical experiences.
His musical education began as a chorister at St Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast, before taking up organ lessons with Professor Gerard Gillen at St Mary’s Pro Cathedral, Dublin. He achieved the FRCO diploma with the Limpus prize aged 17. Dónal read music and was an organ scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, accompanying the world-renowned chapel choir in services, recordings, international tours and broadcasts, including A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. He graduated with a double first and took up the post of Assistant Organist at New College, Oxford. Whilst in Oxford he released his debut solo album to critical acclaim, featuring works by Bach and Walther.
Dónal is co-principal keyboardist of the Oxford Bach Soloists, and as an international organ recitalist he recently performed in Westminster Abbey and opened the restored organ of St Lawrence Church, Vittoriosa in Malta. He has featured as a guest organists with many ensembles, including the Instruments of Time & Truth, the Ulster Orchestra and Academy of Ancient Music. He is also an award-winning composer, his music recently being performed by the BBC Singers on BBC Radio 3.
Ben Cunningham
Assistant Director of Chapel Music
Before joining Winchester, I was Organ Scholar at Westminster Abbey for two years where I accompanied and conducted the world famous choir. One of the most memorable services that I took part in during my time at the Abbey was the burial of Stephen Hawking’s ashes in 2018. Previously, I was Organ Scholar of Worcester College, Oxford whilst reading for a degree in music.
I am also the Co-Artistic Director of the chamber choir SANSARA, with whom I have performed in many concerts across the UK, most recently conducting a performance of Bach’s St John Passion with James Gilchrist as the Evangelist.