London Oratory School Schola
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The London Oratory School Schola is the main liturgical choir of the London Oratory School. The Schola was established in 1996 as a means of providing Catholic boys from the age of seven with a rigorous choral education within the maintained system, something hitherto only available in the independent system. The school's close association with the London Oratory places it in a strong, if not unique, position to provide this form of specialist education and to contribute to the development of traditional liturgical music. The partnership between the Oratory and the school provides ideal opportunities for the school to train boys within the context of a living tradition of catholic liturgy.
The Oratory is part of a dynamic liturgical and musical tradition which goes back to the sixteenth century when the first Oratory was established in Rome at the time of the Counter-Reformation. Both Palestrina and Vittoria were closely associated with the Oratory and Philip Neri, its founder, and Vittoria became an Oratorian. In particular, the Oratory in Europe has been closely associated with the development of polyphony and the chant. The Oratory in London has a reputation for maintaining this tradition and for providing some of the finest liturgy and liturgical music in Europe today.
The school has a strong musical tradition and for many years has been closely associated with liturgy and music of the Oratory. The Schola sings at the Saturday evening Mass at the Oratory every week in term time and at other Masses and services during and outside term, and in the School Chapel during the week. In addition to the liturgical commitment, concert work and touring are a regular feature of the choristers' lives. The choir also features on film soundtracks, including the whole of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Choristers normally join the school at the age of seven and are selected by audition, examination and interview, although places may sometimes be available to boys who join the school, including the sixth form, later. Choristers rehearse at 8 o'clock every morning, as well as for an hour immediately before services. Boys are given individual voice training. The Schola is supported by lay clerks, some of whom are members of the Oratory Choir. Choristers are fully involved in other aspects of the musical life of the school.
The choir's founding director was Michael McCarthy (choirmaster). The choir was directed by Steven Grahl after Michael McCarthy's departure to Washington National Cathedral in 2003 until February 2006 when Steven Grahl moved on to other work to be replaced by the current director Lee Ward, who is also the Director of Music at the London Oratory School.
The Schola is this year marked its 10th anniversary with a spectacular concert at St. John Smith's Square.
The choir Patrons are HRH Princess Michael of Kent, the actor Simon Callow and composer James MacMillan (musician).
