The internationally acclaimed Choir of Trinity College is the flagship of Trinity’s musical life.
During term-time, the Choir of Trinity College is primarily involved in the singing of services in the College Chapel. Evensong is sung every Sunday during term time, with the exception of two Sundays a year, when the Choir sings a Choral Eucharist.
The Choir has collaborated with various orchestras, instrumental ensembles and conductors, including performances of JS Bach’s St Matthew Passion with Jeremy Summerly in 2011, the St John Passion with Stephen Layton in 2012 and Handel’s Messiah in 2016. In 2018 the Choir performed the role of the semi-chorus in Edward Elgar’s ‘Dream of Gerontius’ with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Sir Andrew Davis, and released the latest in a long line of CD recordings, a disc of Carols.
The Choir has undertaken nine international tours, most recently to the USA and Canada at the start of 2020. Over the past ten years the Choir has also visited Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Baltic States, Russia, the UK, France and Spain.
Trinity College is particularly interested in championing new music by Australian composers. Recent performances include works by Alice Chance, Richard Mills, Daniel Riley, Brett Dean, Lachlan McDonald, Joseph Twist, Calvin Bowman, Nigel Westlake and Brooke Shelley. In 2019 the Choir released a new recording including a Mass by Ross Edwards and new commissions from Alice Chance and Daniel Riley and gave the first performance of A New Commandment by Brooke Shelley. 2020 saw the release of Walking on Waves, a collection of Australian and American compositions and arrangements of folk songs and art songs.
The Choir is comprised of students studying a wide range of subjects, many of whom are residents at Trinity College, but with others drawn from other Universities in Melbourne.
Choral services during term time:
Sunday 5pm Evensong (with sermon)
Click here to view Trinity College Chapel page
Click here to view the current music list
Click here to listen to live recordings from this year on Soundcloud
Click here for links to the choir's commercial recordings
Click here to learn about our Choir scholarships
The Choir of Trinity College, 2021
Jingle Bells
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
9 Lessons and Carols, recorded at St John's Anglican Church, Toorak
The Choir of Trinity College, 2020
(A special VR 360˚ performance)
The Choir of Trinity College, 2019
European Tour, 2018
Choral and organ scholars
Soprano
Ellie Ashwell
Amelia Baulch
Anna Marsh
Phillipa McQuinn
Mia Robinson
Jael Sitte
Caroline Smith
Laura Tatti
Alto
Luella Drinnan
Charlie Lines-Perrier
Gabrielle McDonald
Sarah McQuinn
Tenor
Dylan Casey
Matthew Cook
David Lee
Ted Lovell
Ben Slavec
Bass
Ethan Flemming
Leyland Jones
Rory Giezekamp
Michael von Güttner
Ben Tao
Canterbury Fellowship Organ Scholar
Geethan Pfeifer
College Organist
Thomas Heywood
Director of Music
Christopher Watson
Chris is a former member of the Tallis Scholars and Director of Music at St Edmund Hall, Oxford.
Former Directors of Music
Michael Leighton Jones (1997–2014)
Former Choral Scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, Lay Vicar at Westminster Abbey, member of the vocal quintet The Scholars, and founder of the sextet Jones & Co
Michael Fulcher (1994–1997)
Former Director of Music, Cathedral of St Paul, Wellington, New Zealand
Dr Christopher Dearnley LVO (1992–1993)
Former Organist at St Paul's Cathedral, London
Emeritus Professor Peter Godfrey CBE (1990–1991)
Former Chorister and Choral Scholar (and later Guest Director of Music) at King's College, Cambridge
Bruce Macrae (1985–1989)
Professor Peter Dennison (1976–1985)
Professor of Music at the University of Melbourne
Acting Directors of Music
Sam Allchurch (Semester 2, 2016)
Conductor, Artistic Operations Manager, Gondwana Choirs
Tom Healey (Semester 1, 2016)
Former Director of Music at Geelong Grammar School and St Andrew's Anglican Church, Brighton
Michael Leighton Jones (December 1996 to August 1997)
Vocal Staff, University of Queensland
Julian Liberto (Semester 2, 1993)
Tim Smith (Term 2, 1986)
Dr Geoffrey Cox (Terms 3 & 4, 1979)
Former Organ Scholar at New College, Oxford