Stephen and his brother Nicholas were choristers at Worcester Cathedral; one of Sir Stephen's daughters was recently Master's Chorister in St Catharine's College Girls' Choir in Cambridge and another is currently a chorister at York Minster. He believed passionately that being a chorister gives a child a wonderful start in life and was proud, as President of the Friends of Cathedral Music, to have been involved in the Diamond Fund for Choristers.

We are fortunate in the UK to have many great choral foundations and children can benefit enormously from singing in these fine choirs and in the many wonderful cathedrals, chapels and churches which this country boasts.

The skills that choristers learn give them huge benefits going forward, and among the ranks of our country’s finest musicians, sportsmen, broadcasters and politicians are those who once were choristers and who attribute their success to the work ethic they learned as children. But it is so much more than that: 

Choristers...

• have an immense sense of pride in what they do
• make lasting friendships
• have a training which gives them an unmatchable grounding
in music which stands them in good stead for an enjoyment
of music-making at amateur or professional level for the rest of their lives
• are exposed not only to a great deal of marvellous music but to wonderful words and poetry as well
• learn to be confident
• develop an ability to organise their time more efficiently than most children of their age, which means that they cope well with life in their secondary schools and, indeed, throughout their subsequent careers

"What you learn by being a chorister isn’t just about hitting the right notes bang in the middle; it’s about deportment; 
it’s about how to breathe; it’s about how to get on with your fellow human beings."
​                                                                    Aled Jones                                                                                                                                            

Former choristers who play a part in national life in realms other than music include Alexander Armstrong (St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh), Sir Simon Russell Beale (St Paul's Cathedral), Oz Clarke (Canterbury), Alistair Cook (Westminster Abbey), David Lammy (Peterborough), Olly Smith (King's) and Jon Snow (Winchester).

" I owe my entire career to my experience as a chorister. It was where I learnt to perform, where I learnt to use the full range of my voice; where I learnt to listen, where I learnt to write comedy, where I learnt to carry a pencil at all times – but most importantly it was where I learnt the wonderful truth that something exceptional, something as beautiful as anything anywhere, can be created just by you and your friends."       
                                                              Alexander Armstrong

" I was in and out of King's Chapel every day of my life and it’s such a privilege to have been here, been part of the history of this amazing building. It’s probably the ultimate place to be a chorister. I had the most incredible time and it changed my life, no doubt about it. The incredible self discipline and the incredible exposure to music – when you think of all the things we would sing, right from Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb to the old psalm chants. An extraordinary education.....
​
Would you recommend being a choirboy?
"Yes. Hands down I would. It changes your whole life and it’s a huge, enormous change, but I have absolutely no regrets. I loved every minute of it."         
                                                               Olly Smith                                                                                                                                                    
 MY ENTIRE CAREER TO MY EXPERIENCE AS A CHORISTER."