Since its launch in 2009, Leeds Cathedral Choir School has integrated choral music into the life of inner-city Holy Rosary and St Anne’s Catholic Primary School (HRSA), Chapeltown. Our vision of a 21st Century choir school sees every child taught to sing as a part of the core curriculum, with school choirs contributing to the choral activities of the neighbouring Holy Rosary Church and Leeds Cathedral.
Ten years into the project, under the leadership of Choral Director Sally Egan, the Choir School is thriving. Weekly singing sessions are provided throughout the school, from nursery to year six, leading to participation in the school’s outstanding choral groups, which include the Senior Choir, Training Choir and Gospel Choir; all of whom perform regularly in and out of school. Children gain musical skills far beyond those required in ordinary school choirs; many continue to pursue music at secondary school and through extra-curricular opportunities.
The country’s renowned choral heritage now has a home within one of the most disadvantaged areas of West Yorkshire (top 3% of deprivation nationally, IMD 2015), with income, employment, health and crime indicators particularly challenging. For many of the pupils – with 92% from immigrant and BME families – English is an additional language. The power of song embraces the 30+ languages spoken by pupils, with the children performing in English, Latin, Congolese, French, Greek, Igbo, Mandarin, Polish, Spanish and Zulu. This project is celebrated for its ability to break down the cultural barriers surrounding choral singing; uniting and positively impacting on the local community.
Click here for the Choir School Brochure.
For more information on the project please visit the Choir School Website or Facebook page.
‘I feel like I’m in a magical beautiful place; I can express myself when I’m singing, if we didn’t sing school would just feel like nothing…It would be like a blank piece of paper.’ Year 5 student
Our lovely Keighley Junior Choir!
Delighted to be presenting the Music Achievement Award, representing @DOLMusic...a fantastic event, congrats to all involved! https://t.co/ssRgNfFugB
What a sound! Well done team @DOLMusic! https://t.co/ESgaOw2gGh
Rehearsals are underway for today's Boys' Choirs Festival...a stunning sound in Langlais' Messe d'Escalquens. All of the young singers have come through our classroom-based Schools Singing Programme.
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We were thrilled to welcome @jamesmacm to Leeds Cathedral this evening, where we enjoyed his fascinating discussion with @Opera_North’s Richard Mantle. Fantastic singing from @DOLMusic Cathedral Girls and @ndcchoir beforehand, too!
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Music education 'creates more well-rounded people'
Music education 'creates more well-rounded people'
Jazz star and presenter YolanDa Brown says politicians should appreciate the benefits of music education.Our Cathedral Choir School has featured in the Yorkshire Evening Post today. 2019 marks 10 years of the Choir School and we are delighted to have worked with so many talented children in Chapeltown. Our long term aim is to sustain the Cathedral Choir School into the foreseeable future, maintaining and developing musical, academic and community partnerships old and new; an achievable goal with the generous support of funders. All donations towards the Choir School make a real and measurable difference. To secure another brilliant 10 years, please consider supporting this project.
World class musician Sally Egan receives Leeds College of Music fellowship
An inspiring musician who has helped the Leeds Cathedral Choir School thrive has received a fellowship from the Leeds College of Music.Worth up to £2,000 a year, university students in Leeds have the opportunity to sing with one of the country’s finest cathedral choirs. With clear progression routes, expert mentoring and regular performances (including BBC broadcasts, the Leeds International Organ Festival and joint concerts with the Gabrieli Consort) these scholarships are an invaluable and unparalleled experience. Leeds Cathedral now has scholarships available for all voice parts from September 2019.
To apply contact: office@dioceseofleedsmusic.org.uk
www.dioceseofleedsmusic.org.uk/cathedral-scholarships/
We are delighted to share the news that Sally Egan, Choral Director at the Leeds Cathedral Choir School has been awarded a Fellowship from Leeds College of Music in recognition of her inspiring work at the Choir School over the past 10 years. Huge congratulations Sally!
LCoM awards Fellowships to two music industry figures
LCoM has awarded Fellowships to two inspiring figures from the music industry; composer and producer Andrew Lippa; and opera singer and educator Sally Egan.We had a great morning running auditions for Bradford Catholic Youth Choir at St Bede's & St Joseph's Catholic College - over 70 pupils came to sing for us, and the standard was really high (most of the children had sung with our Choral Directors for two years in primary school). Fantastic to see such enthusiasm for singing!