We are a specialist choir school.
Defined by our intrinsic relationship with the iconic ChristChurch Cathedral and our commitment to choral singing, we are proud to be one of only two choir schools in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Cathedral Boy Choristers
Based on the traditional choirs of the great English cathedrals, this section of the Cathedral Choir is made up of up to 20 boys from Cathedral Grammar. They team up with 10 professional singers who sing the alto, tenor, and bass parts to sing services in ChristChurch Cathedral, with a repertoire ranging from the 10th through the 21st centuries. The choir sings at a range of events outside the Cathedral, in other centres, local, national and international, and on television and radio.
In addition to its regular commitments of three weekday Evensongs and two Sunday services, the boy choristers also sing for special occasions, such as ordination services, funerals, recitals and recording sessions.
The boy choristers enjoy a number of recreational activities throughout the year to develop team spirit and camaraderie; a choir camp is also held in January in the week before school starts. The boy choristers toured the UK in 2008, Australia in 2013, and Australia and Japan in 2018.
All boy choristers receive a scholarship to The Cathedral Grammar School pending a successful audition and available space. Scholarship applications can be completed here: Choral Scholarship Information
If you have any questions regarding the boy choristers or would like to schedule and audition, please e-mail the Director of Music, Dr John Linker at linkerj@cathedralgrammar.school.nz
The Cathedral Girl Choristers
Based on the traditional choirs of the great English cathedrals, this section of the Cathedral Choir is currently made up of 14 girls from Cathedral Grammar. They team up with 10 professional singers who sing the alto, tenor, and bass parts to sing services in ChristChurch Cathedral, with a repertoire ranging from the 10th through the 21st centuries. The choir sings at a range of events outside the Cathedral, in other centres, local, national and international, and on television and radio.
The girl choristers represent an exciting new addition to the choral tradition of ChristChurch Cathedral. The Girls programme is still one in development and we anticipate their role to grow over the next few years. In 2021 the regular commitment involves Evensong on a Thursday each fortnight and one full Sunday (two services) each term. The Girl choristers are also occasionally required for special occasions, such as ordination services, funerals, recitals, weddings and recordings. They also take part in major festivals outside of term-time such as Christmas and Easter at the Cathedral.
The girl choristers enjoy a number of fun activities throughout the year such as choir development days and social activities. There are also possibilities for tours and trips. This is crucial in building the team spirit that is required to sing to a professional standard. All girl choristers receive an honorarium from the Cathedral to assist with their school fees if a place is offered after audition.
If you have any questions regarding the girl choristers or would like to arrange an audition, please e-mail the Director, Dr John Linker at linkerj@cathedralgrammar.school.nz
The Chapel Choir
In addition to the 36 boy and girl choristers of the Cathedral Choir, we have many students who enjoy singing and who participate in the school’s Chapel Choir. This choir sings music from a range of genres though specialises in liturgical music. Chapel Choir members sing an Anthem at chapel services each week, and also sing Evensong at The Transitional Cathedral on a termly basis. They enjoy cultural exchanges with schools around New Zealand.
Junior School Singing
Our Junior School students enjoy singing as a part of their regular school experience. All children are members of the Junior School Choir, who sing at weekly school assemblies and public engagements. Students also have the opportunity to audition to become a member of the Junior Chapel Choir. These students focus on liturgical works for chapel services, but also enjoy singing other styles of music for special occasions.