Choristerships

Each year up to 4 places are available for boys to join St. Olave’s as Wakeham Choristers at The King’s Chapel of the Savoy.

The Chapel belongs to His Majesty The King as part of the Duchy of Lancaster. It stands on the north bank of The Thames just below the Savoy Hotel. The original Chapel dates back to the Middle Ages and was destroyed in 1381 in the Peasants’ Revolt. The Chapel is the last surviving building of a hospital founded by Henry VII for homeless people, the construction of which was completed in 1512 a few years after his death. It stands on the area of London known as the Savoy.

Over the last 70 years, trebles in the Choir have been drawn exclusively from St. Olave’s and in recent times have been known as Wakeham Choristers in recognition of the 49 years of association that the late Michael Wakeham had with the Choir.

The route taken by most of those boys into the choir and the school is through an admissions test and a choral trial during Year 5, then singing with the choir until their voices change.

The scheme is a prestigious one: the King's Chapel of the Savoy is one of the Chapels Royal, this one being part of the estate belonging to the title Duchy of Lancaster (Duke of Lancaster = King Charles III).  The choristers sing there weekly on Sunday mornings during term-time, plus a number of special services, such as Christmas morning, Good Friday and a handful of private wedding ceremonies.  During the course of a year, the choristers will usually sing at least once in the presence of members of the Royal Family. For more information about the Chapel, visit: http://royalchapelsavoy.org/

The Chapel is open to the public for its Sunday morning services of Communion or Matins and is a beautiful building, particularly inside. Visitors encounter a welcoming staff team, a friendly congregation and singing of a very high standard.

The King's Chapel of the Savoy