Lay Clerks and Choral Scholars sing 6 services per week (2 on Sundays and none on Saturdays). They perform with the boy Choristers or Girls’ Choir. Sometimes Lay Clerks and Choral Scholars sing together in their own ensemble.
The year starts in the first week of September and finishes in the first week of July. Services extend out-of-term until Christmas and include Holy Week and Easter.
Lay Clerks
The Lay Clerks, or singing men, have provided the backbone of the choir since the monastic foundation was dissolved in 1536. They are salaried members of the Cathedral staff and live locally. All expert musicians and very skilled sight-readers, they can turn their voices to a huge repertoire of music from Ockeghem to Schoenberg.
Choral Scholars
Many distinguished singers have sung in Norwich Cathedral Choir as Choral Scholars while studying at the University of East Anglia. It is possible to combine a Choral Scholarship with undergraduate or postgraduate study in many subjects, including music, depending on the timetable.
The Choral Scholarship provides talented young singers with an outstanding opportunity for a musical education in a professional cathedral choir. The stipend is currently £2,300 pa and includes a room in a shared, furnished house. An important part of the scheme is the provision of singing lessons. The Scholarship is renewable annually.
How to apply
If you would like to offer your services as a deputy Lay Clerk, or would like to explore the possibilities of a Choral Scholarship, then please contact the Liturgy and Music Administrator, Kristina Bartlette (01603 218306) precentor.assistant@cathedral.org.uk