England’s Choir of King’s College to conclude U.S. tour in Palm Beach, Florida

England’s Choir of King’s College Cambridge.

[Episcopal News Service] England’s Choir of King’s College Cambridge is completing its mini U.S. tour this week with two concerts at 7 p.m. Eastern on April 8 and 9 at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida. Tickets are still available for both concerts.

“I think that the Anglican choral tradition represents the best of choral history because it is so vast, and we include within Anglicanism everything from all Christian faiths,” Stuart Forster, Bethesda-by-the-Sea’s associate for music and liturgy, organist and choirmaster, told Episcopal News Service. “The choristers of King’s College Cambridge in particular perform this tradition exceptionally well. … I doubt if I could name a church musician who would go to England and not make a pilgrimage to Cambridge to hear them perform.”

The Choir of King’s College Cambridge’s primary duty since its founding in 1441 by King Henry VI of England is to provide daily singing for worship services in the King’s College Chapel at the University of Cambridge. The traditionally all-male choir is best known today for the annual BBC broadcast of its Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols performance, which is listened to by an estimated 370 million people. 

The choir launched its mini U.S. tour on April 4 at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nashville, Tennessee, followed by a second concert on April 6 at Washington National Cathedral.

Forster said getting the Choir of King’s College Cambridge to perform at Bethesda-by-the-Sea was a “career goal” of his, along with, he hopes one day, the Choir of Westminster Abbey.

“I’m very, very happy it’s finally happening,” he said.

The Choir of King’s College Cambridge’s two-day stop in Palm Beach also will serve as an educational opportunity for the community. From 10 a.m. to noon Eastern April 9, the choir’s director of music, Daniel Hyde, will work with the Bethesda Choir – Bethesda-by-the-Sea’s vocal ensemble – during an open rehearsal. Choirs of schools from the Palm Beach area also have been invited to participate in the open rehearsal.

“This is an opportunity for people to watch a master at work, and I would love to share this with as many young people as possible who may not ever get the chance to experience something like this in person,” Forster said.

-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.