Choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
The Choir of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle exists to sing services in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
It has been in existence since 1348 and, with the exception of the Commonwealth period, has sung services in the Chapel continuously ever since.
The choir today
The choir comprises up to 23 choristers and 12 professional Lay Clerks, who sing alto, tenor and bass. The Choir sings at Evensong each day and at Mattins and Eucharist on Sunday mornings during the three terms of the College year. The choristers are educated at St George's School, Windsor Castle which is situated in the Castle grounds. The Lay Clerks live in the Horseshoe Cloister and on Denton's Commons.The choir sings regularly in the presence of the King and other members of the Royal Family.
Concerts are also given from time to time, some collaborating with ensembles such as the London Concert Orchestra, the London Handel Orchestra, Southbank Sinfonia and the London Mozart Players. The choir also broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4.
The choir is directed by the Director of Music and accompanied the Assistant Director of Music, plus an organ scholar who is selected by audition on an annual basis.
In January 2022 – two months after the first woman became a lay clerk there – it was announced that the choir would admit girl choristers from the following year, forming a mixed treble line.
List of Organists and Masters of Choristers (known as 'Director of Music' from 2004)
- Walter Whitby 1406–1415
- Laurence Dreweryn 1415–1441
- John Wederby 1441–1461
- Thomas Rolfe 1461–1469
- Robert Cotyngham 1469–1473
- William Browne 1473–1476
- Thomas Rolfe 1476–1489
- Tuke, Bell, Bowyer, Bednall and Rede
- Richard Wood 1496–1531
- John Marbeck, 1531–1547
- George Thaxton 1547–1559
- Preston 1559–1563
- Robert Golder 1563–1564
- Richard Farrant, 1564–1580
- John Mundy 1581–1585
- Nathaniel Giles 1585–1632
- William Child 1632–1697
- John Golding 1697–1719
- John Pigott 1719–1756
- Edward Webb 1756–1788
- Theodore Aylward Sr., 1788–1801
- William Sexton 1801–1824
- Karl Friedrich Horn 1824–1830
- Highmore Skeats 1830–1835
- Sir George Job Elvey, 1835–1882
- Sir Walter Parratt, 1882–1924
- The Revd Canon Edmund Fellowes, 1924–1927, Acting Master of the Choristers, with GS Kitchingman and later Malcolm Boyle, as Acting Organist
- Sir Henry Walford Davies, 1927–1932
- Charles Hylton Stewart, 1932
- Sir William Henry Harris, 1933–1961
- Sidney Campbell 1961–1974
- Christopher Robinson 1974–1991
- Jonathan Rees-Williams 1991–2002
- Roger Judd 2002–2004
- Timothy Byram-Wigfield, 2004–2013
- James Vivian, 2013–incumbent
Sub organists
- Richard Frank Martin Akerman 1900–1924
- Malcolm Boyle 1925–1932
- Reginald Alwyn Surplice 1932–1945
- John Morehen 1968–1972
Assistant Organists
- Charles Hancock ????–1875
- G.F. Huntley 1875–1880
- Hubert Hunt
- Henry Walford Davies 1885–1890
- Richard Frank Martin Akerman 1900–1908
- Harold William Rhodes 1908–1910
- Reginald Alwyn Surplice 1927–1932
- John Charles Stirling Forster 1941–1945
- Philip Harold Moore 1946–1949
- Lionel Frederick Dakers 1950–1954
- Richard George Greening 1955–1959
- Clement McWilliam 1959–1965
- John Porter 1972–1985
- Roger Judd 1985–2008
- Ben Giddens 2008–2009
Assistant Directors of Music
- Richard Pinel 2009–2016
- Luke Bond 2017–incumbent
Organ Scholars
Source:- Peter J Williams 1965–1966
- John Porter 1965–1967
- John Taylor 1965–1967
- Terence Atkins 1967–1969
- Jason Smart 1969–1972
- Francis Grier 1972–1973
- Colin Walsh 1973–1974
- Christopher Brayne 1974–1975
- Thomas Trotter 1975–1976
- Adrian Partington 1977–1978
- Harry Bicket 1978–1980
- Wayne Marshall 1980–1983
- Iain Simcock 1983–1984
- Neil Kelly 1984–1986
- Andrew Nethsingha 1986–1987
- Roger Muttitt 1987–1988
- Philip Scriven 1988–1990
- Mark Wardell 1990–1991
- Jonathan Lilley 1991–1992
- Christopher Allsop 1992–1993
- Matthew Raisbeck 1993–1994
- Greg Morris 1994–1995
- Iain Farrington 1995–1996
- Myles Hartley 1996–1997
- Teilhard Scott 1997–1999
- Jonathan Vaughn 1999–2000
- Robert Kwan 2000–2001
- Francesca Massey 2001–2002
- Tom Winpenny 2002–2003
- Henry Parkes 2003–2004
- Ben Giddens 2004–2005
- Peter Stevens 2005–2006
- John Challenger 2006–2008
- Laurence Williams 2008–2009
- Alexander Binns 2009–2010
- Ben Bloor 2010–2011
- Adam Mathias 2011–2012
- Joseph Beech 2012–2013
- Glen Dempsey 2013–2014
- Alexander Hamilton 2014–2015
- Asher Oliver 2015–2016
- Benjamin Newlove 2016–2017
- Jason Richards 2017–2018
- Lucy Morrell 2018–2019
- Emily India Evans 2019–2020
- Alexander Trigg 2020–2021
- Alex Robson 2021–2022
- Miriam Reveley 2022–2023
- Drew Sellis 2023–2024
- Hamish Wagstaff 2024–2025
- Thomas Watkin 2025–2026
Notable alumni
- Michael Chance, countertenor
- Sir Henry Walford Davies, composer and noted speaker and broadcaster on music
- David Fanshawe, classical composer
- Francis Grier, classical composer
- Sir William Henry Harris, composer of church music
- John Lubbock, conductor
- Sir Arthur Sullivan, composer
- Robin Blaze, countertenor
- Jeremy Filsell, organist; Director of Music at Saint Thomas Fifth Avenue