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Trinity Boys Choir (Boys Choir) |
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Founded: 1964 - Croydon, London, England |
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Trinity Boys Choir is famed for its versatility. Up to 100 trebles are coached each week in a variety of groups through a wide-ranging repertoire. Boys continue to sing after the voice change, both alongside the trebles and in dedicated male voice groups. For further details of the choral groups see Tours.
The boys are well known for their role as the Fairies’ chorus in Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, having appeared in eleven different productions worldwide. The choir is particularly proud to have appeared in the productions of Sir Peter Hall at Glyndebourne and Robert Carsen at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. DVD and CD recordings include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Cunning Little Vixen, B. Britten’s Billy Budd, L’enfant et les sortilèges and Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel from Glyndebourne and Georges Bizet's Carmen and Tosca from the Royal Opera House.
The choir’s repertoire is large and diverse and varies according to the specific choral group. Programmes are tailor made to each event and there is a commitment to presenting new and exciting arrangements and compositions which are distinctive to the choir. The incomparable, virtuosic arrangements of David de Warrenne form an important part of non-religious programmes, as do specially commissioned works from our stable of composers. Works such as George Frideric Handel’s Messiah and W.A. Mozart’s Requiem are frequently performed with orchestra and programmes of sacred music range from the English Renaissance to the most challenging contemporary pieces.
The choir frequently collaborates with the major London orchestras and has appeared on recordings with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Performances at the BBC Proms have included collaborations with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. In 2004 the boys were honoured to perform Monteverdi’s Vespers in the Monteverdi Choir’s 40th anniversary concert in St Mark’s Basilica in Venice. The choir has since toured J.S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) with the Monteverdi Choir (Director: John Eliot Gardiner) and has performed G.F. Handel’s Messiah with the Gabrieli Consort & Players (Director: Paul McCreesh). In 2015 the choir was thrilled to be invited by the rock group Queen to mark the 40th anniversary of Bohemian Rhapsody with a filmed tribute of the classic rock anthem.
The boys famously featured in Bing Crosby’s final television appearance, his Christmas Show of 1977. Since then the boys have appeared on UK television in the Royal Variety Performance, Children in Need, The Pride of Britain Awards, Good Morning Britain, The One Show, Bring the Noise, amongst others, and in Christmas specials with Aled Jones, Bradley Walsh, John Bishop and Michael Bublé. In 2014 the BBC documentary Messiah from the Foundling Hospital featured the boys singing alongside the Gabrieli Consort & Players. The choir frequently appears on BBC Radio 2, 3 and 4.
The choir has appeared on numerous film soundtracks and the boys are experienced studio artists. Soundtracks on which the boys can be heard include: Another Country (1984), The Last Days of Patton (1986), Lord of the Flies (1990), 101 Dalmatians (1996), Maleficent (2014), Unbroken (2014), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015), San Andreas (2015), The Little Prince (2015), The Huntsman:Winter’s War (2016), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016). |
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History |
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Trinity Boys Choir has been at the forefront of the British musical scene for the past fifty years. The boys are all pupils at Trinity School, Croydon, London, which is considered to be one of the top schools for Music in the UK.
From 1964 until 2001 the choir was directed by David Squibb, who had studied with the Royal Marine Band and at the Royal Academy of Music. David was assisted by the arranger and pianist David de Warrenne, who was a member of London’s Temple Church. During this period the choir established its reputation for musical excellence and versatility, and close relationships were built with the major opera houses and orchestras.
1965: First professional broadcast on BBC Radio; 1973: BBC Proms debut; 1977: Bing Crosby’s Christmas Special for TV; Recording of Igor Stravinsky’s Mass with Leonard Bernstein for Deutsche Grammophon; 1980: Performed Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Aldeburgh Festival; 1981: Association with Glyndebourne Opera begins; TV broadcast of B. Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; 1984: Tour to Hong Kong; 1986: Association with The Royal Opera House begins; 1991: B. Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Aix-en-Provence; 1995: Association with English National Opera begins
David Swinson became Director of the choir in 2001 following David Squibb’s retirement. During his tenure the international profile of the choir has developed with performances throughout Europe, in Japan, and the USA. The choir has also made numerous TV and radio appearances, including the Royal Variety Performance and George Frideric Handel’s Messiah with the Gabrieli Consort; 2001: Recording of William Walton’s Henry V Suite with the BBC Symphony Orchestra; 2004: Monteverdi’s Vespers with the Monteverdi Choir in St Mark’s, Venice; 2005: Concert with the Wiener Sängerknaben in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, Vienna; 2006: Performed at the BBC Proms Concert to celebrate HM the Queen’s 80th Birthday; 2007: Tour to Japan; 2008: Tour to Czech Republic; 2009: Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel DVD with Glyndebourne; 2010: Carmen DVD with Royal Opera House; 2011: Michael Bublé Christmas Special on TV; 2012: Pride of Britain Awards, Children in Need and Royal Variety Performance on TV; 2013: Performances in Israel, Germany, Poland, Italy and Holland; 2014: Performances in USA, Finland, Germany, Belgium; 2015: Return to Aix-en-Provence Festival and major Japan Tour. |
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Current People: |
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Richard Evans, Pianist
Richard Wilberforce, Vocal Coach
Katharine Fuge, Vocal Coach
Gillian Kitchen, Associate Director
Lewis Brito-Babapulle, Associate Director & Organist
David Swinson, Director |
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Source: Trinity Boys Choir Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (March 2017) |
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Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works |
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Conductor |
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Works |
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John Eliot Gardiner |
Choir |
[V-12] (2016): BWV 244 [3rd recording] |
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Links to other Sites |
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Trinity Boys Choir (Official Website) |
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