The Choir

The Choir of the Chapels Royal, HM Tower of London is one of Britain's leading chapel choirs and occupies a place at the heart of the nation's royal heritage. Formed of ten professional singers who also perform regularly with distinguished consorts and opera companies in the UK and abroad, the choir continues the tradition of musical excellence central to the English royal court.

The choir sings regularly at the Tower of London's two chapels, the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, built for Henry VIII in 1520, and the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, historically the monarchs' private chapel until that time. Their services have an enviable reputation for excellence, with a thriving congregation of visiting dignitaries, members of the Tower community, including the Yeoman Warders ('Beefeaters') and their families, and some of the Tower's two million annual tourists.

The Tower choir is regularly invited to sing at high-profile public and private occasions. Recent performances include the Lord Mayor's Banquet in 2004, services for several historical London livery companies, and a performance to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Choir and Organ Magazine in 2003. The choir has performed annually at the City of London Festival in recent years, as well as appearing at the Stratford-on-Avon and Chelmsford Festivals. Television and radio highlights include broadcasts for BBC television and Radio 3, Channel 4 television and Classic FM. The choir has recently released Make We Joy, a CD of music for Christmas recorded at the Tower.

The repertoire performed by the choir encompasses choral music from all ages, including music written specially for the English Chapels Royal. The English royal court has been an exceptional patron of music over the centuries, rivalled only by the Vatican. Musicians writing and performing for English monarchs and their court include Handel, Tallis, Byrd, Gibbons, Purcell, Elgar, Howells, Tippett, MacMillan, and Maxwell Davies, and the choir is proud to continue their distinguished tradition today.