Choral Awards, Choral Exhibitions, Choral Studentships, and Choral Scholarships all indicate the same thing: the music award held by a student in a Cambridge chapel choir, usually referred to as a ‘Choral Scholar’. There are various different official names for Choral Awards depending on the history and statutes of the individual College concerned. Most Cambridge choirs consist of a combination of Choral Award-holders and volunteers, who may be undergraduate or postgraduate students.
What does it mean to hold a Choral Award?
Choral Award-holders are required to sing in the choir of their College chapel, attending regular rehearsals and services. Most Colleges also expect Choral Award-holders to play an active role in College music-making. The responsibilities of Choral Award-holders vary greatly from College to College and are outlined on the relevant College websites.
A Choral Award comes with a small financial award each year, which is the same across all Colleges participating in the Intercollegiate Choral Awards Scheme; however, the true value of the Award lies in the educational, social, and cultural opportunities and training made available to the holder, facilitating their intellectual and personal development in support of and far beyond the academic subject they happen to be studying. A Cambridge Choral Award is also an excellent addition to a CV: it demonstrates that the recipient is committed, reliable, and highly-skilled.
Which colleges offer Choral Awards through the Intercollegiate Scheme?
There are 24 colleges which take part in the annual competition. Those that do not are listed below.
Choral Awards available but NOT through the Intercollegiate scheme:
–Murray Edwards
–Pembroke
–Wolfson
No Choral Awards available:
-Hughes Hall
-Lucy Cavendish
What is the weekly schedule for a chapel choir?
There is huge variation amongst the choirs as to when and how often they rehearse/sing for services. Please see this document for an overview of each choir’s weekly workload.
Further information
For college-specific enquiries (including regarding any restrictions on subjects which may be studied alongside a Choral Award), please contact the Directors of Music at the individual colleges.
If you have questions relating to the Choral Award Scheme, please check the FAQs page in the first instance. If your question is not answered please email the Choral Awards Scheme Co-ordinator (Miss Louisa Denby) on choralawards@group.cam.ac.uk.
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