Westminster Abbey Choir School
| Westminster Abbey Choir School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Dean's Yard London, England, SW1P 3NY, United Kingdom |
|
| Information | |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christianity |
| Established | 1848 |
| School board | Wacs lyrical |
| Dean | John Hall |
| Headteacher | Jonathan Milton |
| Chaplain | Rvrd. Mr. Micheal Macey |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 7/8 to 13 or 14 if your voice is still treble |
| Pupils | 32 boys in the whole school with 5 Years (year4-8) |
| Houses | Blow And Purcell |
Westminster Abbey Choir School (W.A.C.S.) is a British boarding preparatory school and the only school in the United Kingdom exclusively for the education of boy choristers. It is located in Dean's Yard, by Westminster Abbey. It educates about 30 boys, aged 8–13 who sing in the Choir of Westminster Abbey which takes part in state and national occasions as well as singing evensong everyday (except Wednesday) and gives concert performances around the world. Its most recent tour was to Moscow, singing in the International House of Music there. Other tours included trips to Australia,[1] America, and Hong Kong.
The Headmaster is Jonathan Milton, former Headmaster of The Abbey School, Tewkesbury. The Organist and Master of the Choristers is James O'Donnell, former Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral. There is also a school newspaper/board called Wacs lyrical.
Contents |
[edit] History
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The original school opened in 1848; the present building was opened in 1915. It was extensively refurbished in 1994.
[edit] Governors
The Chairman of the Governors of the school is the Very Reverend John Hall, Dean of Westminster and former Chief Education Officer for the Church of England.
[edit] Inspections
The school was inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in November 2006. The inspection report stated that the school provides an outstanding education.[2]
[edit] The choir
The choir makes frequent broadcasts and recordings.[3] The choir's two most recent recordings are "Music from the reign of King James" and "The Feast of Saint Peter the Apostle at Westminster Abbey" which also received very positive reviews. The Sub-organist is Robert Quinney and the assistant organist is James McVinnie, with James O'Donnell as the organist and masters of the choristers. In 2009 it was decided to no longer have the positions of Head Chorister and Second Chorister so that the choir would be like other choirs.
[edit] Tours
The choir has travelled across the world to perform tours most recently in Australia, the USA, China and Moscow. Generally these tours take place once every two years. The Choir was due to go to Spain in 2009 but due to the recession it could not go ahead.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Westminster Abbey Choir School
- Westminster Abbey Choir and Choir School History
- A history of the choristers of Westminster Abbey
- Independent Schools Inspectorate 2006 report on the school
[edit] References
- ^ Westminster Abbey Choir tour to Australia
- ^ The Quality of Education at Westminster Abbey Choir School, Independent Schools Inspectorate, 2006
- ^ Recent recordings of Westminster Abbey Choir
Coordinates: 51°29′55″N 0°07′46″W / 51.49864°N 0.12934°W [1]
