Sing my Soul: Tenor Scholarship

We are seeking a Tenor Choral Scholar to join our existing line-up of 2025-2026 Scholars.

Tenor Choral Scholarship
Spring and Summer Terms 2026
Working with the St Martin-in-the-Fields music team, London

The Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholarships are a programme of stimulating and educational choral training, working across churches in Manchester with the music team from St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. The scheme is aimed at choral singers wishing to embark on a professional career in singing. The Choral Scholarships provide an opportunity for up to ten singers to enjoy an intensive, focused period of development alongside others of a similar standard and interests, whilst building on a tradition of musical excellence in churches in the city centre and beyond.

The Choral Scholarship programme is part of a wider project called Sing my Soul, which aims to develop new music and faith initiatives in a number of churches in the Diocese of Manchester, supported by the Church of England Strategic Development Fund.

As well as their regular commitments, the Manchester Choral Scholars have sung for broadcasts of Choral Evensong on BBC Radio 3, taken part in Church of England online services for Christmas and the Platinum Jubilee, and participated in concerts in London and Manchester, including a collaboration with vocal ensemble I Fagiolini. They have taken part in workshops with choral leaders including Neil Ferris, Jamie Wright, Robert Hollingworth and Stuart Overington.

The 2026 Tenor Choral Scholar will join an existing line-up of 2025-2026’s scholars. The Choral Scholars perform at several churches across Manchester, singing for services on Wednesday evenings at St Paul’s, Withington and St Ann’s, Manchester City Centre, alongside some Saturday performances in St Stephen Audenshaw, Oldham Parish Church and other churches throughout Manchester.

Term Dates

Spring
Sunday 8th February – Saturday 28th March 2026 (inclusive)

Summer
Wednesday 30th April – Saturday 28th June 2026 (inclusive)

Schedule

The regular focus of the scholarship is Wednesday evenings during term time, at St Paul’s Withington and St Ann’s, Manchester City Centre, from 6pm until 9pm. This includes services such as Compline and Evensong, alongside rehearsals and workshops.

Typical Wednesday Schedule

6:00pm – 7:00pm: Rehearsal

7:00pm: Compline

8:15pm – 9:00pm: Rehearsal/ Workshop as needed

In addition, the choral scholars will sing on some Saturday mornings (4 to 5 per term) for Great Sacred Music (a sequence of words and music on a theme) and Coffee Concerts in churches around the diocese, and a couple of Sunday evenings a term for DreamSpace (a relaxing evening of performances) at Sacred Trinity in Salford. Each term also includes approximately three additional events outside the normal schedule – eg. concerts and recordings. Some of these may be classed as ‘extra’ services with an extra fee.

Since the pandemic, churches have been moving to a hybrid model of in-person and online worship and other events. All of the Choral Scholarship events may also be either live-streamed or recorded for future broadcast on our social media channels and other digital platforms.

Honorarium

Choral Scholars will receive a remuneration of £700 for the remainder of the Spring Term, and £900 for the Summer term, paid in instalments at the end of each term.

Choral Scholars are allowed to be absent from one date per term with no money deducted from their Choral Scholarship remuneration, providing this absence is agreed in advance in writing. If it is necessary to arrange any additional absences, these must be requested and agreed in writing as far ahead as possible. For any absences exceeding the allowance of one date per term, a deputy fee of £50 will be deducted from the Choral Scholarship remuneration at the end of term.

This Tenor Choral Scholarship will be tenable until the end of the summer term. Throughout the scholarship period, you will be a scholar at the Diocese of Manchester and not an employee. Nothing in this document is intended to create a relationship of employer and employee between you and The Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholarship programme.

Eligibility and requirements

Candidates for Choral Scholarships must be aged 18 and over and should have a confident singing voice and good standard of sight-singing ability. Enthusiasm for singing as a member of a team, together with a willingness to develop their musical talent, will be determining factors in the appointment of Choral Scholars. Applications are welcome from all singers at the beginning of their choral music careers, including current students, graduates and singers with an equivalent level of choral experience.

Our ambition is to work together to promote a more inclusive environment, which attracts all candidates and signals our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity. We particularly encourage applications from those who are currently underrepresented within choral music.

Applications

Please return the application form, along with a current CV, by email to Lorna Day, Music Administrator at singmysoul@smitf.org

Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on Monday 2nd February 2026.

Auditions for shortlisted applicants: in-person in Manchester on the morning of Wednesday, 4th February, from 10am in Manchester.