All Saints Parish: 500 years of Choral Heritage

Our story
The Choir of All Saints Kingston was first recorded in the church documents in the 13th century and was founded in its current form in the early 19th century. It has a longstanding and national reputation for excellence, musical standards are very high and the choir sings repertoire comparable to most cathedral music lists. The choir is ‘semi-professional’ meaning the choristers and choral scholars are paid a termly fee (which is a very exciting moment for our trebles!). Three professional Lay Clerks (who also work in primary schools) sing alongside the voluntary lay-clerks – auditioned singers who are highly experienced and many of whom sing with some of the country’s best chamber choirs, opera companies and work as soloists.

The music department is led by Director of Music, David Condry, who is assisted by the Principal Choral Trainer and the Junior Organ Scholar. In addition, there is a Lead Soprano, Choir Librarian and Choir Administrator. Fundraising and social events are organised by a choir committee. There is a choir association, which is an organisation for current and former choristers to keep in touch through a series of social events and an annual festival evensong.

The choir is known nationally for the quality of its music making and sings an extensive repertoire. As well as contributing to the worship of the church, the choir has made broadcasts and recordings, has excellent connections with local schools and has regularly produced choral scholars at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

In addition to our own in house choirs, All Saints hosts regular sessions for several external choirs and orchestra’s who enjoy our wonderful acoustics and renowned Frobenius Organ. The Rock choir www.rockchoir.com and the Eclipse choir Eclipse Choir – Kingston Upon Thames Choir, South West London rehearse and perform concerts regularly.

The Choir schedule:

Wednesdays Choral Evensong 5-6pm

Fridays (Probationers) 5.45pm-7.15pm

Fridays (Full Choristers) 6.15pm-8.30pm

Sundays Sung Eucharist 9-10.40am, Full Rehearsal 11.15am-12noon, Choral Evensong 5.30-7pm

In addition, there are regular extra services and annual concerts that choir members are expected to attend, please see full schedule for details.

The choir takes a break during the Summer holidays and just after each Christian holiday (ie they sing for the duration of Christmas and Easter but have a break afterwards).

Kingston Parish Church Choir Website

Allsaints Church Archway Graphic with Solid Background

The Choir and Choral Scholarships

The choir of All Saints Kingston has spaces in their treble line with children in years 4-7 (and onwards) eligible to audition. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to join a prestigious choir offering a cathedral quality music repertoire with a fraction of the time commitment required by Cathedral choirs. Children do not have to read music (although this would be a great benefit!) but natural musical talent, together with enthusiasm, intelligence and a willingness to commit to the choir and learn are prioritised. Probationers are also given free intense small group training on Friday evenings before the main rehearsal until their graduation.

The choir meets on Wednesday for evensong 5-6pm, on Friday for rehearsal 6.15-8.15pm (with probationers meeting slightly earlier for small group training) and on Sunday for Morning Service 9-10.45am, practice 11.15am-12pm and then evensong 5.30-7pm. We do appreciate that this is quite a commitment for our younger singers but we believe the musical education more than makes up for it, with a number of our trebles going on to musical scholarships.

Trebles receive termly payment based on their attendance (please discuss details with our musical director David or our head Soprano Eleanor). The choir closes for the Summer holidays but as Christmas and Easter are our busiest times, choristers are expected to attend during these holiday periods, receiving some time off in lieu afterwards. We use an app called Konzermeister so parents can easily keep track of rehearsals and services.

Choral / organ scholars

Our Organ/Choral Scholarships are open to any 6th former, aged 16+ of grade 8+ organ or grade 7/8 or equivalent who would like to develop their skills with a view to an undergraduate organ scholarship at university.

This is a paid position as a bursary. We have historical links with colleges at Oxford and Cambridge and a high success rate with undergraduate choral scholarship applications, please contact us with a short outline of your singing/playing abilities.

Kingston Parish Church Choir Website

Lifting Young Voices Project (LYV)

Lifting Young Voices (LYV) is a choral education programme, working across local primary schools, engaging as many children as possible in the beauty of choral music. We open new pathways for children to grow in their singing, both in school and in the wider community, as they progress into our LYV choirs and a lifelong enjoyment of singing.

We have a team of professional singers and choral trainers currently working across 10 primary state schools and partner parishes, including in Kingston, Chessington, Cheam, Wallington and Balham, reaching roughly 600 children on a weekly basis. We are excited to be expanding the programme further through new partnerships with parishes and schools.

Here at All Saints Kingston, we have a Junior Choir for children aged 6-10 (Years 3 – 6) and a Children’s Choir for children aged 4-6 (Years 1 and 2) both taking place on Fridays in term-time from 4.15–5pm. The children learn a mix of secular and church music, receiving excellent group musical tuition from our principal choral trainer; Michael Burt and our team of choral trainers.

Mixing with children from other local schools is an excellent opportunity to form new friendships, and if a child shows a real love and aptitude for singing, they may be invited to graduate to our prestigious and well linked choir of All Saints Kingston. The Junior Choir sings in our All-Age Communion Service once a month and is an integral part of the worship at All Saints Kingston.

Why not bring your child along to our next session to see if singing at All Saints is right for them? Email [email protected] for full details. Please fill in the interest form insert and hand to one of our volunteers or staff. We would love to have you!

If you are interested in our Lifting Young Voices Project going into YOUR school, or would like to join one of our choirs, please click here for a booklet giving details or click the button below for a booklet.

LYV Schools booklet

All Saints Main Choir Brochure

Want to find our more about the Cathedral quality Choir of All Saints Kingston? Please click the button to download our brochure.

Click here for Choir Brochure

Auditioning to become a treble.

The audition consists of a short piece of music chosen by you that the child is confident to sing and demonstrates their abilities, followed by some singing and rhythm tests and questions about what they like about singing.

If your child would like to be accompanied on the piano, you may need to provide sheet music. The audition would normally take place before or after rehearsal but we can be accommodating if this is difficult. Please email [email protected] to arrange.

Click here to watch an audition clip

Adult Altos, Tenors and Basses

Our adults are semi-professional, experienced singers who are volunteers for our regular services: Sunday Choral Eucharist, Choral Evensong, and Wednesday Choral Evensong. Choir adults receive ISM and MU rate fees for any weddings and funerals. Experienced singers are very welcome to audition, Altos, Tenors and Basses, who are confident sight readers and who might like to join our list of deputy singers to expand their singing. We would also be very happy to hear from singers who might like a regular commitment and become a voluntary Lay Clerk. The audition for the choir consists of:

A solo piece like an aria, or art-song in any language including English

Sight reading test: 16th Century polyphony, Romantic era English choral accompanied music

We would be delighted to hear from anyone who might be interested. Auditions can be arranged on request. Please email our choir administrator, Kate Shrimpton [email protected] to arrange an audition.

Music List

This area will shortly have the music for the Autumn term.

FREE Lunchtime Recitals at All Saints Kingston

We hold free Lunchtime Recitals at 1.15pm on Mondays and some Fridays in the Nave.

This popular series of top quality free recitals returns for the Autumn season with dates below. For inclusion on the mailing list please email [email protected]

Our Free Lunchtime Music Recitals return for the Autumn season in September. All Saints Kingston, in the heart of Kingston Town Centre, Opposite John Lewis, KT1 1JP

Monday Lunchtime Recitals feature talented classical musicians and singers and Friday Lunchtime Recitals feature talented organists on our famous Frobenius Organ.

Details of our Monday Recitals:

14 September Ludivine Hobson soprano
21 September Katarina Strom piano
28 September Slava Antipov piano
05 October Aleandro Giuseppe Libano piano
12 October Freddie Ingles bass
19 October Ioana Voicu viola
26 October The Bergmann Duo recorder and piano
02 November Nicole Mok piano
09 November Thady Cooney piano
16 November Soraya Vergee piano
23 November Aeneas Ensemble piano trio
30 November King’s Clarinets

Friday Organ Recital details will be published shortly. All Recitals are in our main Nave area and are free to attend with an optional retiring collection for the musical life of the church.

For inclusion on the mailing list please email [email protected]

The Junior Choir

The Junior Choir of All Saints Kingston is suitable for children aged 6-11+ (school years 3-6) and meets weekly on Fridays 4-5pm in term time.

There is no audition and the children learn a mix of secular and church music led by our principal choral trainer Michael Burt together with DBS checked volunteers. Sessions take place in the beautiful surroundings of All Saints Kingston, with children learning a variety of pieces to perform and also other practical music skills such as improving rhythm and how to read music.

The choir has been set up with special funding so is currently free with the expectation that members commit to attending our All Age Communion service which is generally one Sunday a month.

If a child shows a real love and aptitude for singing, they may be invited to graduate to the main choir.

Each session is great fun and an excellent opportunity to meet other children, form new friendships and enjoy singing together. Why not bring your child along to our next session to see if singing at All Saints is right for them? Email [email protected] for full details.

Click for Leaflet

The Children’s Choir

In April 2026, the demand for spaces in our junior choir was so high that it was split into two with a new “Children’s Choir” created for our younger singers aged 4-6 (school years 1 & 2).

The children’s choir of All Saints Kingston meets at the same time as the junior choir – weekly on Fridays 4-5pm in term time with singing tailored to the abilities of a younger cohort.

The children learn a mix of secular and church music with a qualified music lead and aided by DBS checked volunteers. Sessions take place mostly in the choir vestry of the beautiful All Saints Kingston with children learning a variety of pieces to perform and also other practical music skills such as improving rhythm and how to read music.

The choir has been set up with special funding so is currently free with the expectation that members commit to attending our All Age Communion service which is generally one Sunday a month.

Singing has many benefits for brain development in children, including an improved sense of hearing, memory and concentration and has also been shown to accelerate brain development, notably in reading, maths and languages.

Why not bring your child along to our next session to see if singing at All Saints is right for them? Email [email protected] for full details.

David Condry – Director of Music

David Condry joined All Saints Kingston as our Director of Music in 2018.

David is a professional singer and alongside solo and occasional operatic work, sings with the Brahant Ensemble – Directed by Dr Stephen Rice, a former All Saints chorister as well as having sung with Tenebrae.

David studied music at Leeds university whilst holding a choral scholarship at Leeds Parish Church and was formerly a tenor in the professional choir of St Mary’s Bourne Street under Paul Brough. David is a regular singer at Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral and the London Oratory. He is also head of choral music and Vocal studies as the Yehudi Menuhin school.

Michael Burt – Principal Choral Trainer

Michael is a teacher, choral conductor and organist. He is Principal Choral Trainer of the Lifting Young Voices programme at All Saints Kingston, where he coordinates a team of choral trainers working in local schools, leads the Junior Choir, and plays the organ at services.

Michael has a wide range of experience in music education, having worked in both secondary and primary schools in London and internationally in Düsseldorf. Alongside his teaching, Michael pursued further professional development in church music at Cologne’s Hochschule für Musik und Tanz, where he studied choral conducting with Reiner Schuhenn and organ performance with Margareta Hürholz. A career as Kantor in Cologne followed, where he worked at regional level, supporting other parish musicians and leading numerous choral projects and choir tours across Germany. Back in the UK, Michael was Choral Director at Leeds Cathedral, where he conducted the cathedral choirs and founded a community choir. In 2024, he completed his ARCO diploma (Associate of the Royal College of Organists).

Freddie Ingles – Bass Choral Trainer for our Lifting Young Voice project

I am very lucky to have gone to a primary school with a very enthusiastic music teacher and I think it’s incredibly sad that lots of schools do not teach any music at all, especially since the pandemic. I have wanted to teach singing since I moved to London, but the ongoing RAAC crisis has hampered my progress. As a result, when this job was mentioned to me, I jumped at the chance for a new challenge.

I’ve learned a lot, not only about holding the attention of a roomful of 10-year-olds but about getting them all involved in music-making.

I think that the most important aspect of music teaching, especially in a workshop setting, is to help the kids have fun while they’re singing. If I can teach the idea that music is something to be enjoyed, like I was, then that could have a huge impact on the next generation of singers and musicians.

I look forward to continuing to work with these kids and especially look forward to our termly concerts!

Emma Smellie – Alto Choral Trainer for our Lifting Young Voices project

Singing and music is so important to a child’s development, sense of self and wellbeing. One of my first memories of singing is singing hymns in church next to my gran. It was one of the first ways that I learnt to use my voice and, also, that I felt part of a new community.

It is such a joy to bring singing to more young people. I love creating opportunities for the children to get thinking creatively whether that be changing words or adding actions. It always puts a smile on my face when I see what they come up with. I’m hoping that by teaching music and faith, we can show the children the feeling of joy and community that I have learnt from my gran and other inspirational musicians. It’s really exciting to be part of this new project and I can’t wait to see what we achieve!

Digory Price – Tenor Choral Trainer for our Lifting Young Voices project

Digory was a chorister at All Saint’s Kingston from the age of 8 to 14. He has remained passionate about choral singing and is now musical director for Real Voices Choirs in Balham and Crystal Palace. He has also worked with choirs including Sing ON (Opera North), Battersea choral society, and Liberty Choir, facilitating singing sessions inside prisons.

Since completing an MA and assistant conductor fellowship at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Digory has worked with companies including Opera Holland Park, Clonter Opera, British Youth Opera, and St. Paul’s Opera.

In addition to Digory’s professional work, he is a passionate music educator. Digory has lead choirs and vocal projects for Wandsworth Music, St. Andrew’s Church (Acton), and Morley Opera School.

In 2024 Digory founded Digory Price Recording, a production company creating professional recordings for classical musicians.

Choir Gallery

Choir Trip to York Minster

Our choir is often invited to other significant churches and cathedrals in the UK as a “guest choir” to take part in services and events. Our most recent trip was to York Minster in October 2024.

The choir sang at 4 services, two of which were recorded and can be viewed here and here

Sung Eucharist Choir particular moments:

5.40, 41.20, 51.50

Choral Evensong choir particular moments:

3.42 (Psalm 141), 9.50, 18.20, 28.50 (Seek him)

Don’t miss the amazing organ pieces at the send of each service from Alan Erdelyi who performed until recently at All Saints.

Live: Choral Evensong on the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity, Choir of All Saints’ Kingston (youtube.com)

Live: Sung Eucharist on the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity, Choir of All Saints’ Kingston (youtube.com)

Please click on the below links and Gallery for details of the weekend in 2024

Practice 1

Practice 2

Practice 3

York Minster Gallery

Anthems

Explore our vast selection of anthems by renowned composers, complete with lyrics.

Music Hire

It may be possible to hire sets (of up to 40) of choral music that is in our library, provided it is not required for our own use. This table gives an indication of what might be available.

Composer	Title	Publisher	No. Available For Hire
arr. Wilberg	Ding! dong! merrily on high	OUP	30
Bainton	And I saw a new heaven	Novello	40
Byrd	Second Service	Waynflete Music	30
Chilcott	Little Jazz Mass	OUP	35
Dove	Ecce beatam lucem	Faber	35
Dove	Missa Brevis	Peters	40
Duruflé	Messe cum jubilo	Durand	20
Goodall	The Lord is my shepherd	Faber	35
Grier	Two Advent Responsories	Faber	40
Harwood	Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in A flat	RSCM	40
Haydn	Creation, The	Novello	10
Haydn	Missa Sancti Joannis de Deo	OUP	40
Haydn	Missa Sancti Nicolai	Faber	40
Holst	Christmas Day – a choral fantasia	Sacred Music Press	35
Mozart	Coronation Mass	Breitkopf & Härtel	40
Mozart	Missa Brevis in C	Bärenreiter	40
Mozart	Missa Brevis in D	Bärenreiter	40
Mozart	Spatzenmesse	Bärenreiter	40
Naylor	Vox dicentis	Curwen	25
Palestrina	Missa Brevis	Chester	40
Poulenc	O magnum Mysterium	Salabert	40
Poulenc	Videntes stellam	Salabert	45
Rutter	Jesus child	OUP	40
Rutter	Star carol	OUP	35
Rutter	Wexford carol	OUP	40
Rutter	What sweeter music	OUP	40
Schubert	Mass in G	Peters	30
Stainer	Crucifixion, The	Novello	35
Stanford	Lighten our Darkness	RSCM	35
Stanford	Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in A		40
Stanford	Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in F	Cathedral Music	40
Tchaikovsky	Masterworks of the Russian Orthodox Church	Faber	40
Vaughan Williams	Communion Service in D minor	OUP	30
Vaughan Williams	Fantasia on Christmas Carols	Stainer & Bell	35
Victoria	O quam gloriosum – mass & motet	Novello	40

To enquire about music hire please click here.

Music