Since singing is so good a thing, we wish all people would learn to sing. So said composer William Byrd in the preface to his 1588 collection of Psalms, Songs and Sonnets. The publication begins with his “reasons briefly set down to persuade everyone to learn to sing”, principles which still resonate today with the Temple Church’s choral and educational programme.
Temple Church boasts a choral tradition stretching back to 1841, when the Inns employed Dr Edward John Hopkins (1818–1901) to form a choir of men and boys. The principal role of the church choirs remains similar now to then: performing at Wednesday and Sunday services during the legal year. In the past year, the two choirs at the church have presented concerts including programmes of Britten (A Ceremony of Carols), Bach cantatas, Purcell odes, and themed concerts around the Song of Songs and Lamentations, spanning five centuries of musical history.
Choristers join the church choir aged eight and sing until they are 13. It is a truly unique and life-enhancing opportunity, providing a first-class musical education in the centre of London. Unlike many cathedral choirs in the UK, where choristers attend boarding schools, Temple choristers come from all over London to learn and sing in the church. In September 2024, in a new development, both boys and girls will have the opportunity to become choristers at Temple Church. This is a pivotal development for the choir and the Inns, and one which will open up the opportunity to more children from a range of backgrounds. A frequently asked question is whether this will make a big difference to the way we teach. The simple answer is “no”! We have a first-class team of teachers working with our choir, and we will continue to create a stimulating, supportive, and enriching teaching environment for our boy and girl choristers. Healthy and well-produced singing in children is the same for girls and boys; and central to our ethos is the nurturing of a vibrant, expressive, and flexible sound which can be adapted to the needs of different styles of repertoire. Giving the gift of singing and music to children is fundamentally about being part of their development as musicians and young people, and setting them up for their futures, from whichever background they may have come.
Apart from their musical training, choristers develop important life skills which set them up for all sorts of futures. Former choristers from English choirs include the likes of David Lammy, Rowan Atkinson, Alexander Armstrong, Ed Sheeran, and Alastair Cook. All of them fondly look back on the training they gained as young musicians in choirs and recognise how it shaped them for their futures.
As part of our educational programme, we provide a variety of enriching opportunities for the choristers including a singing competition, organ and composition workshops, and study trips. Being a chorister in a collegiate style choir is a unique learning experience, in which young people receive expert tuition from our teachers and perform a huge range of music alongside professional singers. We train our choristers to be young professionals from the start, and the training itself is very much learning ‘on the job’. After five or so years in the choir, young teenagers emerge with a professional level skill set and the ability to perform with true confidence and poise. In 2023, one of Temple’s final year choristers, Ivo Clark, performed at the Royal Opera House in their production of Handel’s Jeptha, and, in 2024, at Waterperry Opera’s production of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw.
Water Bottles
Our beautiful 500ml (17oz) Inner Temple water bottle is made from 70% recycled materials and high grade steel by Mr Bamboo Cup. It keeps your beverage cold for 24 hours or hot for 12 hours, and is fully recyclable at the end of its ten year life. A tree is planted for each bottle that is manufactured. It's a perfect gift or accessory for every occasion.
The church is proud of its sixth form scholarship scheme for sopranos, now in its fourth year, which offers talented students the chance to sing alongside our professional singers and develop their skills to the highest level. Our team provides a year-long programme of workshops, singing lessons, coaching sessions and performance opportunities, offering a unique chance to experience life as a professional singer in a supportive environment.
The music department’s choral outreach programme to primary schools, established in 2022, is now a key element of our educational programme. With music provision in schools increasingly sidelined, our Sing Out project is designed to give musical opportunities to primary schools and demonstrate the power of community singing. Schools taking part receive a series of workshops led by our teachers which culminate in an interactive concert in the church for all participating schools. For many children, this is their first time in a church, and often the first chance they have to hear the organ and professional classical singers. Class and whole singing, once a mainstay of primary education, is now all but a forgotten art in many schools, and we are committed to sharing our resources and expertise generously, working alongside partner institutions to bring music back into schools as a core activity. One school taking part this year commented afterwards:
“It was a truly fantastic day. The children learned a variety of classical songs that they would never have had the opportunity to hear before and we were also very lucky to hear the church organ being played alongside some outstanding classical singing from the tutors. For school children from the East End of London, this was an amazing cultural experience, one we won’t forget in a hurry.”
Watch out for a number of new musical initiatives taking place in the church in the coming months, from moments of sublime tranquillity to high ceremony and celebration, from rousing carols to sparkling concerti. There really is something to suit all tastes and we look forward to welcoming you.
Thomas Allery was appointed Director of Music at Temple Church in 2023 and is responsible for leading the church’s music and choral programme. He has a wealth of experience as a director, organist, and harpsichordist, and is a specialist in 18th century music and historical performance practice. As a director, he is known for drawing on his experience as a chamber musician, and for his energy and direct communication with audiences. In regular demand as a continuo player on organ and harpsichord with a number of orchestras and groups, he also teaches basso continuo at the Royal College of Music. He is a founding member of the award-winning period music group, Ensemble Hesperi, with whom he has performed widely, recorded, and broadcast. As a community practitioner, he was worked extensively with the charity Live Music Now, including leading residencies in care homes and SEN schools in London. He is currently undertaking research into historical continuo treatises from the 17th and 18th centuries, exploring how they can be used in education today. In 2023, he was assistant conductor and lead continuo player for Grange Opera’s productions of Dido and Aeneas and Gluck’s Orfeo with The Sixteen and Harry Christophers.
Thomas Allery
Director of Music, Temple Church
