The King's School Gloucester is inviting aspiring singers aged six to eight to its next Chorister Voice Trials, taking place at Gloucester Cathedral on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 March 2025.
Confident children with a talent and enthusiasm for singing can try out by performing their favourite song, hymn, carol or nursery rhyme — no special coaching or voice training is required.
Chorister Voice Trials are conducted by the cathedral's director of music, who will be assessing the quality of each singer's voice, the accuracy of their ear, their ability to pitch a note and their sense of rhythm.
Trials will also involve reading aloud, so candidates should be fairly confident readers, too.
Playing an integral role in worship at Gloucester Cathedral, choristers sing in its regular services, as well as having the opportunity to take part in exciting concerts and festivals — including the prestigious Three Choirs Festival held every summer at either Gloucester, Hereford or Worcester Cathedral.
Gloucester Cathedral's choristers are educated at the award-winning King's School Gloucester — which was recently added to The Good Schools Guide — and benefit from a generous reduction in fees and an enriching musical education which includes expert tuition in music theory and at least one musical instrument, as well as singing lessons.
Alongside a regular routine of rehearsals and performances as part of the cathedral choir, they also benefit from King's diverse co-curricular programme, spanning academic, sporting and cultural activities, as well as nurturing pastoral care from both the school and the cathedral communities — all of which help choristers to develop valuable life skills like concentration, teamwork, confidence and independence, alongside honing their musical ability.
When choristers leave the choir, they are eligible to apply for music scholarships and bursaries at King's, too, with many ex-choristers going on to complete their education at the school.
Voice trials for girls take place on Wednesday 5, while voice trials for boys take place on Thursday 6 March 2025.
For more information, or to apply for the Chorister Voice Trials, visit thekingsschool.co.uk/about-us/choristers.
