The Chapel Choir has recently been presented with brand new cassocks and surplices, marking an important and historic moment in the life of the College. Most striking among the changes is the move from red cassocks to navy, a deliberate choice made by the Choristers of the Chapel Choir, that brings the Chapel Choir’s image into harmony with the College colours. This visual unity not only strengthens the Chapel Choir’s identity within the wider College community, but also symbolises a renewed sense of belonging and continuity between music, worship, and institutional tradition.
Alongside the change in colour, the new cassocks and surplices ensure that the Chapel Choir is now robed in the manner customary to such services, aligning them with Oxbridge Colleges and Cathedrals. This form of dress reflects centuries of Anglican choral tradition, underscoring the Chapel Choir’s liturgical role and enhancing the dignity and reverence of Chapel Services.
As the Chaplain declared to all gathered to witness the inaugural wearing of these new robes; proper choral vesture is not merely aesthetic – it signifies the Chapel Choir’s role as a ministering body within worship, rather than as performers of music alone. In a service this morning, prayers were said for our Choristers, and the new cassocks and surplices were blessed with prayers and incense.
The presentation of these new vestments therefore carries genuine historic significance. It represents an investment in the future of the Chapel Choir, while consciously aligning it with the established practices of the great Collegiate and Cathedral Choirs of England, and the rest of the World.
In doing so, the College honours the past, affirms the present, and sets a confident message for generations of Choristers yet to come.
Adam Meehan-Staines
Deputy Director of Music
Head of Academic Music
Choirmaster and Director of Chapel Music
