Does your child like singing?
Do they enjoy all kinds of music?
Would they like to sing in one of the finest buildings in Europe?
Did you know that we also have a Junior Choir (4+)? more >
Boys’ voices 8+
Girls’ voices 8+
Consort (for girls aged 14+)
Try out any one of the choirs on offer! Membership is free and there are opportunities to perform in services, concerts, Minster tours, weddings and recordings!
Children 8-14 years can apply for Choral Foundation Scholarships, providing bursaries of up to 100% towards individual music lessons.
Children have been singing in the Minster for more than 800 years.
- Music is an integral part of Beverley Minster life.
- Singing as a team to produce the finest music contributes to raised self esteem, confidence, increased vocabulary, increased reading confidence as well as musical literacy and understanding.
And – it’s a lot of fun!
Beverley Minster is proud of its choral tradition that stretches back many centuries. Its current choir, one of the largest parish church choirs in the country, comprises separate top lines of Boys, Girls, Consort (older girls) and adult sopranos supported by a ‘back row’ of altos, tenors and basses. We also have a Junior choir for children aged 5-8. The choir’s usual schedule is to sing two choral services on a Sunday and evensong on a Thursday night. In addition to this we sing in special services, concerts, record CD’s (available in the Minster shop!) and generally get involved with all things choral that we can. Recently, we performed the whole of Handel’s Messiah with the East Riding County Choir and the Black Dyke Band. Many of our choristers do exams in Choristership and you will see the medals of differing levels that our choristers wear.
If you would like your child to benefit from this wonderful experience which will help build self-confidence, reading ability and performance skills, please complete the contact form or contact Robert Poyser for further information.
VOICE TRIALS
To apply, please complete the form below and we’ll be in touch.
Listen to the choir singing Handel’s Zadok the Priest on a video recording.
Recordings by the choir are available here >
Our musicians are dedicated to giving of their best in worship and to achieve this they rehearse before and after services.
Anyone interested in joining the choir should contact the Director of Music – Robert Poyser.
The Minster’s safeguarding page is here >
History of the choir
When the present Minster was built in the 13th century, the chancel (or quire), which accommodated the choir, was constructed first in order that services could be conducted with music.
Daily services continued to be sung until the Reformation. In 1531, records show that a John Merbecke was listed as receiving payment ‘in reward for songs by him given to the church’. He later moved to St George’s Chapel, Windsor, to become a ‘singing man’ and one of two organists. He collaborated with Archbishop Cranmer to publish his ‘Book of Common Prayer Noted’ (i.e. set to music).
After the Dissolution in 1548 the Minster was re-established as a Parish Church. Since this time the Minster Choir, despite its amateur status, often reaches the performing standard of many a cathedral choir and has broadcast on several occasions.
Choir Tours
In 2014 the choir sang in Bristol Cathedral and Gloucester Cathedral. In 2016 they visited Lemgo, in Germany and in 2017 they sang the services over a weekend in Coventry Cathedral. In October 2018 they made their second visit to Germany. 2019 saw us visit both the Anglican and Metropolitan Cathedrals of Liverpool. In recent years we have visited Essex (2022), Hexham Abbey (2023) and Shrewsbury Abbey (2024). We plan to sing in Lichfield Cathedral later in 2025.
In March 2022 the choristers sang at a service in York Minster and met Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York.
