Robinson College Chapel Choir is an exciting, friendly, and ambitious ensemble which sings for two services each week during term, alongside a schedule of international tours, recordings, Cathedral visits, concerts, and broadcasts. Made up from Choral Scholars and volunteers covering a wide range of subjects and colleges, the Choir strives for the highest standards of music-making within its comparatively modest schedule. The Choir is conducted by the Director of Chapel Music, Will Sims, who is assisted by the two Organ Scholars; the College's Music Fellow, Dr Jeremy Thurlow; and the Chaplain.

The Choir’s repertoire encompasses several centuries of choral music, from the Renaissance to the present day, and has included premieres of works from leading contemporary composers (including Giles Swayne, Sarah Cattley, Phillip Cooke, and Jeremy Thurlow) to students and alumni. Recent tour destinations have included Barcelona (performing in the Sagrada Família), Milan (broadcasting a concert from the Duomo di Milano live online, later on television), Paris, Innsbruck, and Hong Kong. Robinson has made several CDs, including a portrait disc of Vaughan Williams and Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols; most recently, the Choir released a recording featuring contemporary works premiered by Robinson with Prima Facie Records.

Membership

The Choir typically comprises 24-30 voices. Choral Scholarships are offered in all voices via the Intercollegiate Choral Award Scheme; auditions for volunteer places are held at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term. Several one-year choral bursaries are also offered to volunteers making an especially valuable contribution to the choir. Members of the Choir receive generously subsidised singing lessons and a free formal 3-course dinner after Evensong every Tuesday.

The choir's weekly schedule is:
Tuesday – Rehearsal (5:30-6:15pm), Choral Evensong (6:30-7:15pm), Formal Dinner (7:30pm)
Thursday – Rehearsal (5:30-7:00pm)
Sunday – Rehearsal (4:00-5:30pm), Choral Evening Service (6:00-6:45pm)

In addition, there are several rehearsals prior to the start of each term, and other events (including touring and recording) take place outside of term-time.

See the choir's Facebook page for more information on the choir and its activities.

Director of Chapel Music

Mr Will Sims has been the Director of Chapel Music at Robinson College since 2022, where he directs the Chapel Choir and supervises undergraduate students in the Faculty of Music. Prior to this appointment he was Director of Music at University College, Durham for three years. He is a prize-winning Choral Director of the Royal College of Organists and has recorded as a conductor and singer for the BBC, Delphian, Prima Facie, Priory, and Apple TV. He has sung with the Cathedral Choirs of Ely, Edinburgh, Lincoln, and Peterborough; accompanied recitals of English Art Song around the UK; and his compositions are regularly premiered in The London Festival of Contemporary Church Music.