St Luke’s Sevenoaks has recently launched an exciting new Choral Scholar Programme, designed to strengthen the church’s long-standing musical tradition while opening doors for young people in the local community to experience the joy of choral singing.
The initiative has been spearheaded by Alex Clark, Director of the Choir at St Luke’s, who grew up in the parish and first began singing in the church choir at the age of seven.
“St Luke’s has always had a long-standing musical tradition and being part of this as a child was a great experience for me,” Alex reflected.
“I went on to be a choral scholar at university myself, and choral singing has always – and continues – to bring me such joy in my life. I would really love other young people to experience that and develop their talents.”
Having taken on the role of Choir Director at the beginning of 2025, Alex was keen to reinvigorate the choral worship at St Luke’s.
At the same time, she was conscious that opportunities for young people to participate in choirs - whether in schools or the wider community – have become increasingly limited.
“When I began shaping the idea of the Choral Scholar Programme, I wanted to bring together two goals: firstly, to reaffirm and develop the musical tradition of St Luke’s, enhancing the worship of our church, and secondly, to offer young people locally the chance to experience choral singing in a sacred setting.”
Alex brought her vision to Rev. Anne Bourne, Team Vicar of the West Sevenoaks Team with pastoral responsibility for St Luke’s, who was quick to support the idea. With the full backing of the Parochial Church Council (PCC), funding was secured to make the scheme possible.
The programme is open not only to young people already connected and singing with the church but also to those from the wider community thanks to external advertising.
Each scholar receives a small financial reward, regular vocal coaching, and the chance to develop core skills in choral singing and sight-reading. They commit to singing at St Luke’s two Sundays a month and participate in rehearsals to broaden their repertoire.
This year, seven young people have been awarded a Choral Scholarship — three from within the church community and four from outside. Applications spanned both junior level (Years 7–9), with five applicants, and senior level (Year 10 and above), with two applicants.
The programme’s first term will see professional input, with individual coaching from Patrick Craig, professional countertenor, Vicar Choral at St Paul’s Cathedral and an experienced choral director.
Also planned is a choral evensong workshop led by the professional vocal ensemble Sonare Choir.
The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) Young Voices Toolkit has been a source of guidance for the scheme. It has been designed to help parishes across the country bring young singers into church choirs once more.
The scholars themselves have spoken enthusiastically about the impact of the programme so far.
“The choral scholarship is a brilliant opportunity to explore new music and take responsibility for my repertoire,” said one scholar. “It gives me a lot of confidence in the other choirs that I do, especially when sight reading!”
Another scholar added,
“I have really enjoyed singing with more people in the choir. It has also been a great opportunity to meet new people and to spend more time with God.”
Rev. Anne shared her excitement about the programme’s early success:
“The choir scholars programme is an amazing opportunity for local young people to develop their choral skills in a nurturing environment while engaging missionally with the local community.
"Our worship is being enhanced by their presence, and there is opportunity too, we pray, for seeds of faith to be grown in them and those who support them as we look for growth within our church community.”
For Alex, the motivation remains deeply personal.
“Access to musical training has fallen away for many young people, and I’m so thankful that through the support of St Luke’s, we can offer this opportunity for free,” she said.
“This is about passing on something that has been transformative in my life – the joy and discipline of choral singing – to the next generation.”
With the support of the parish and the wider church, the St Luke’s Choral Scholar Programme looks set not only to revitalise the church’s own musical tradition but also to nurture the talents and passions of young people across the Sevenoaks area.