The Ely Cathedral Boy Choristers have returned from their tour of Estonia after performing at five venues across a number of cities during their time in the country.
Seventeen choristers, who are all pupils at King’s Ely, took part in the tour that ended with a ‘spine-tingling’ concert at St Peter and St Paul’s Cathedral in Tallinn.
For many of the choristers, who are aged between nine and 13, this was their first tour with the cathedral choir, this was also the first time the choir’s tour would take place in Estonia.
Paul Trepte, director of music at Ely Cathedral, who led the tour, said: “Tours of this sort are the stuff that memories are made of.
“The choir had a fabulous week singing in some impressive venues to appreciative audiences in Tallinn, Haapsalu and Parnu.”
The group still managed to squeeze in plenty of sightseeing and downtime, including visits to a water park, the beach, local parks and the Seaplane Harbour Estonian Maritime Museum.
Mr Trepte added: “The musical highlight was their final concert at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Tallinn, attended by the Deputy British Ambassador.
“A fault on the organ in that church required some last minute changes to the programme which in turn demanded great flexibility and professionalism from all singers.”
Previous choir tours have included America, Canada, Spain, Norway and France, as well as performances in Rome, Vienna and Budapest.
Ely Cathedral Boys’ Choir has been part of the English Choral tradition since the mid-16th century and its history can be traced back to before the time of King Canute, circa 990 AD.
Today, the choir consists of 22 boy choristers and six adult lay clerks, increased on Sundays and feast days by additional singers and sometimes instrumentalists.
Alongside daily rehearsals and services, there is a schedule of concerts, broadcasts and recordings.
The choir has worked with national artists, orchestras and ensembles including James Bowman, Aled Jones, Jose Carreras, the Britten Sinfonia, the Orchestra of St John’s, Smith Square, the Brandenburg Consort and The City of London Sinfonia.
Visit www.elycathedral.org for more information.
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