A large proportion of our pupils are involved in extra curricular musical activities, the rehearsals for which take place at lunchtimes. Our ethos in this regard is that such activities across the year groups develop confidence in the individual and provide an opportunity for pupils to aspire to high standards in an area outside the usual school subjects. Because of the large and varied number of concerts the Choir gives, at home and abroad, pupils experience and develop their social skills.

Director of Music – Stewart Smith

The Choir is one example of the high standard achieved by Abbey Gate’s pupils in extra-curricular activities and in particular Music.

Abbey Gate College Chapel Choir was formed in 1983 by its current Director of Music, Stewart Smith. It began as a Chamber Choir of 15 members which has now expanded to a membership of over 60.

As Chester Cathedral has no choir school Abbey Gate College is amongst a group of schools fortunate to benefit from educating some of the boy and girl choristers with the obvious advantages such they have in choral singing which is a great asset to the Chapel Choir. In addition to two annual school services at Christmas and Passiontide, held in Chester Cathedral, the Choir gives regular concerts and sings for services in the local area as well as further afield.

The Choir recorded its first CD in March 1997 in Chester Cathedral, which includes the Fauré Requiem, Zadok the Priest and the Hallelujah Chorus. The second CD ‘Bright the Vision’ was recorded in 1999. In celebration of Abbey Gate College’s 25th Anniversary a third CD was recorded in Chester Cathedral on March 6th and 7th 2003. The most recent CDs have been made from live performances made during the Choir’s 2006 tour of the Czech Republic and a number of concerts during 2007 and 2008.

The Choir has toured Holland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, France, the Czech Republic and the USA on two occasions. Each year the Choir sings Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral, London. The Choir has sung in most major English Cathedrals on summer tours over the past 23 years. In October 2006 the Choir sang Evensong at St George’s Chapel Windsor, followed by a week at York Minster in the summer of 2007.

Most recently the Choir has given a joint concert with the International Organist Carlo Curley in Chester Cathedral on March 29th 2008, sung Evensong in St Paul’s Cathedral performing Gabrielli’s ‘Jubilate Deo’ and at the end of April lead the worship at the College 30th Anniversary Service in Chester Cathedral. In July the Choir sang the daily evensongs for a week in Ely Cathedral and a tour of Italy is planned for 2009 with a performance in St Mark’s, Venice already booked.