Exeter Chorister wins Composition Competition

Warmest congratulations to 13 year-old Theo Collins from Exeter Cathedral School who is this year’s winner of the Sir David Willcocks Composition Competition. His introit “Sing a new song” will have its first outing when Portsmouth Cathedral Choir sings it at Evensong on Tuesday 3 May during CSA’s Annual Conference.

Exeter Cathedral School headmaster, James Featherstone, says: “Theo has done fantastically well to win first prize in this prestigious competition,and I congratulate him whole-heartedly.  He is a hard-working and very talented young man, and he thoroughly deserves this terrific accolade.

“He is one of our Senior Choristers and the Leader of our full orchestra, and it is very fitting that a pupil who has ploughed so much into music-making should be recognised on a national level for his dedication and talent.

“He has been with us since Year 1 and is off to Exeter School in September, having been awarded their top music scholarship ahead of all other 13+ and 16+ candidates.  We are enormously proud of him here at ECS, and I am thrilled that the School’s proud musical heritage continues to shine through.”

Well done to Joel Branston (St John’s College School, Cambridge) who was a close winner and to runners-up Katherine Barnes and Orlando Oliver, choristers at Peterborough Cathedral and Westminster Abbey respectively.

Once again we are so grateful to Jonathan Willcocks for adjudicating for us. You can read his verdict and words of enouragement here.