Choral Music

From their first day at school, all Tiffin boys sing: it is quite usual for members of the rugby team also to be in the choir. In their first year, each boy will compete in the Year 7 Inter-Form Singing and House Singing Competitions, perform the Year 7 Jazz Cantata - the finale to the School Concert, and many will sing their first major choral work as members of the Tiffin Oratorio and Tiffin Boys’ Choirs.

The Tiffin Boys’ Choir

Since its foundation in 1957, the Tiffin Boys’ Choir is one of the few state school choirs to have been continually at the forefront of the choral music scene in Britain. The choir has performed with all of the London orchestras (recently the LSO, Philharmonia and BBCSO), in Royal Opera House productions (recently La Bohème and Tosca), on national radio and on television (BBC, ITV and Classic FM) and on film soundtracks (including Philomena and The Hobbit). The choir gives regular concerts in London and tours annually (destinations have included Australia, China, Russia, Czech Republic, Italy and Spain). It has an extensive, Grammy-nominated discography (including Mahler 8/Tennstedt, Puccini Il Trittico/Pappano, Britten Billy Budd/Hickox and Britten War Requiem/Masur).

The Tiffin Chamber Choir

Tiffin's most senior singers are members of the Tiffin Chamber Choir, which welcomes Y12-13 sopranos and altos, alongside Y11-13 countertenors, tenors and basses. Formed in 2019, when girls were first welcomed to Tiffin School sixth form, in its first year the choir performed at the Royal Festival Hall, on CD from Merton College Oxford, and on stage with Emma Thompson at the launch of her blockbuster film Last Christmas.

The Tiffin Oratorio Choir

Tiffin Oratorio Choir is formed of over 200 pupils, parents, staff, alumni and other members of the local community. Open to all, the choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings (7-9pm, School Hall) during the Autumn Term, to prepare a concert given in November with professional orchestra and soloists. Each year, more than a quarter of Year 7 pupils join this choir, rehearsing each Wednesday lunchtime and joining the main choir a few weeks before the performance. The choir welcomes new members: please contact the Director of Choral Music, James Day jday@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk for more details.

The Tiffin Children’s Chorus

Tiffin Children’s Chorus is formed of over 80 girls and boys aged 8-16 from schools across Kingston. Open to all, the choir rehearses on Mondays from 4pm at Tiffin School. Tiffin Children’s Chorus regularly performs not only with the Tiffin Boys’ Choir and Oratorio Choir, but also at other events across the borough, recently including The Rose Theatre Christmas Concert, Kingston Arts’ Festival of the Voice and the Royal Opera House production of La Boheme. The choir welcomes new members: please contact the Director of the Children’s Chorus, Sian Cadogan scadogan@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk for more details.