At Worcester, twenty-four Choral Awards are available in the Choir across all voice parts, as well as two Organ Scholarships. We support our Scholars with an amazing range of financial, practical and social benefits, including:
- a generous honorarium,
- one-to-one coaching,
- guidance and music lessons,
- free meals together,
- workshops with singers, teachers and conductors,
- …and much more besides!
Prospective choral and organ scholars are warmly encouraged to visit us at Worcester: the Director of College Music will be happy to talk informally about choral and organ award opportunities, the wider music culture in College, and introduce applicants to current choral and organ scholars. Schools also are welcome to enquire about bringing groups of students to sing with the Choir at Evensong.
Contact our Director of College Music
Director of College Music
Caius Lee
Caius Lee FRSA
Director of College Music
Caius Lee read Music and was Organ Scholar at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, during which time he founded the Florence International Singing Programme. Since 2019, he has been a trustee for Awards for Young Musicians, supporting talented young musicians from low-income families. He has worked with choirs, festivals and played solo recitals in Europe, Asia and South America. Returning to the Diocese of Leeds in 2021 as a Choral Director, Caius lead choirs in his native Bradford before joining Worcester in September 2023. His passion for community engagement and choral excellence has been recognised with a Royal Society of Arts Fellowship (FRSA).
Hear from our scholars
Being an Organ Scholar at Worcester has changed my idea of who I am and what I am capable of. To those who are considering applying: you must. You will grow so much faster than you think you can.
Before my first Evensong at Worcester, I had no clue how to even read a Psalm... that first rehearsal certainly involved a lot of learning, but doing it alongside such a kind and talented choir made the experience far less scary.
I applied to Worcester knowing that it was a musically rich and diverse College. I have learnt so much and I feel my technique, knowledge and sight-reading ability has flourished in a relatively short period of time.
The frequent services at Worcester mean you get loads of experience, and I love the range of music we sing. There really is a thrill that comes with being part of making a piece come together – especially in such a sublime setting as Worcester Chapel.
Being an Organ Scholar at Worcester has changed my idea of who I am and what I am capable of. To those who are considering applying: you must. You will grow so much faster than you think you can.
Before my first Evensong at Worcester, I had no clue how to even read a Psalm... that first rehearsal certainly involved a lot of learning, but doing it alongside such a kind and talented choir made the experience far less scary.
I applied to Worcester knowing that it was a musically rich and diverse College. I have learnt so much and I feel my technique, knowledge and sight-reading ability has flourished in a relatively short period of time.
The frequent services at Worcester mean you get loads of experience, and I love the range of music we sing. There really is a thrill that comes with being part of making a piece come together – especially in such a sublime setting as Worcester Chapel.
JOINING THE CHOIR
There are two main ways to join the Choir, both of which involve an audition.
Most Choral Scholarships are awarded at the University’s annual Choral Trials, which take place in late September each year for those applying to start a degree in October the following year (i.e. 12 months prior to arriving in Oxford). Choral awards are contingent on your being made an offer for your academic course, which you apply to separately in the usual way.
It is also possible to apply for a place in the Choir, if there are vacancies in your voice part, once you arrive in Oxford to begin your degree. Members of the Choir do not have to be students at Worcester. We don’t distinguish between these two routes and almost all members of the Choir are awarded scholarships. In either case, you do not need to be reading for a degree in Music, and recent choral scholars have successfully balanced degrees in subjects as varied as Physics and Anthropology with their Choir commitments.
For state school students in Year 12, we also run the Oxford Choral Experience as a way of discovering more about life in Oxford and an opportunity to experience choral singing in a college setting.
Applying to Oxford as a choral scholar THE OXFORD CHORAL EXPERIENCE
Life as a choral scholar
Choral Scholarship weekly timetable
Choral Scholarship benefits
Read more in our Choral Scholarships brochure
Organ scholarships
An Organ Scholarship at Worcester College provides musical training and encouragement unique in Oxford and unusual in the musical world.
Worcester proudly possesses both the oldest working college chapel organ in Oxford and a brand-new chamber organ. We will support you to hone a wide range of skills on these instruments, including developing repertoire, choir accompaniment and continuo realisation. You will also learn how to rehearse boy trebles and conduct the whole choir under the supervision of the Director of College Music.
Organ Scholarships are awarded solely through the University Organ Trials, which take place each September for those applying to begin their studies the following year. Musical and academic assessments take place separately and potential Organ Scholars will apply through UCAS in October like all other candidates.
Life as an organ scholar
What to expect at Worcester
Organ Scholarship benefits
Read more in our Organ Scholarships brochure
