Choral Scholarships

Opportunities for Students to Sing at St Mary Redcliffe

Please contact claire.alsop@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk for further information.

SMR has a flourishing Music Department under the leadership of Director of Music, Joe Cryan. The choir sings at Choral Mattins, Sung Eucharist and Choral Evensong in term time, as well as feast days and solemnities. Our annual Rush Service is a highlight of the choral year, along with our Advent Procession, 9 Lessons and Carols and Redcliffe Festival. The church has a popular online presence: all services are streamed on SMR Live for those who may not be able to attend services in person.

We take part in a broad range of musical activities both at SMR and in our wider community. In recent years the choir have sung at Bristol Cathedral, Bath Abbey, The Tyntesfield Estate and S. S. Great Britain.

The Choir’s treble line is made up of up to 25 boys, 25 girls who attend a range of local schools. The lower voices are largely made up of volunteers, who are supported by the choral scholars, who are in higher education in and around Bristol. In September 2024 we are launching our new treble line, SMR Sing Start, which is for children in Year 1 and 2 at school. We also have regular “Come and Sing” groups for people who are currently out of work, followed by coffee, cake and a chat.

The choral scholars are an integral part of musical life at St Mary Redcliffe, and has given many early-career singers the chance to flourish at SMR while “singing the song of faith and justice”