The gap-year choral scholarships at Hereford Cathedral (one each of alto, tenor and bass) run annually from 1 September to 31 August. The scholarships offer experience of singing daily in the cathedral choir alongside the six lay clerks (who are augmented by three assistant lay clerks at weekends), and they would thus particularly suit singers intending to go on to one of the major university choral foundations.

Applications for the 2024/25 tenor choral scholarship are now open. Please note that we have already appointed alto and bass choral scholars. For details of the scholarship, please click here.

Prospective applicants are welcome to contact the Director of Music, Geraint Bowen, by email or to telephone him on +44 (0)1432 374238.

Former choral scholars are present or former students at King’s College, Cambridge; Trinity College, Cambridge; Christ Church, Oxford; the universities of Edinburgh, Manchester and St Andrews; the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire; the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance; and the Royal College of Music. Several are now working as freelance singers and five are present or former lay clerks at St Albans Cathedral, St Paul's Cathedral, Manchester Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, Southwell Minster and Westminster Cathedral.

Details of the organ scholarship are available here.

The image at the head of this page is St Ethelbert's House, where the music scholars live

Our 2023/24 choral scholars: Liam Ormiston (tenor), Sarah Reid (alto), Miles McHugh (bass)

We are delighted to welcome a new cohort of scholars, who have all recently completed their A-levels and who will spend a year as a part of our choral foundation. 

Liam Ormiston was educated at Beverley Joint Sixth Form and has sung as a chorister and subsequently a gentleman of the Beverley Minster Choir since 2014. He is a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and is also learning to play the piano. Liam hopes to read for a degree in music.

Sarah Reid comes to us from Durham Johnston Comprehensive School and was a member of the cathedral girls’ choirs at both Peterborough and Newcastle. As well as being an experienced singer, Sarah also plays the violin and the piano, and she hopes to read for a degree in philosophy.

Miles McHugh also comes to us from St John’s School in Leatherhead. In addition to singing, Miles plays the French horn, cornet and percussion and for the past year has played the organ for services at St Mary’s Church in Great Bedwyn. Next year, Miles will read for a degree in music at York.