An all-male foundation since its origins in the 14th century, The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge opened its stalls to female voices in the 1980s. A crystal-clear sound was cultivated by then director of music Dr Richard Marlow, led by the soprano line, which became synonymous with the choir’s broadcasts and recordings. In 1976 Marlow commissioned the Swiss firm Metzler Orgelbau to build a new organ, based on extant pipes and casework by ‘Father’ Bernard Smith.

Steven Grahl, who has been Director of Music since the start of 2024, comments on that sound: ‘There is definitely that clarity and transparency you mention, for which the choir is known. It partly stems from the repertoire they perform. That’s inevitably shaped by the musical tastes and interests of the conductor. Then there is the building, and that wonderful organ, which does colour what we sing; it speaks with a clear accent.’

Following studies at Oxford and the Royal Academy of Music, Grahl stepped up from his assistant post at London’s St Marylebone Church to become Director of Music there, working with its professional choir on Sundays. He was able to combine this with a commitment as assistant organist at New College Oxford, working with Dr Edward Higginbottom. Seven years at New College suggests a happy working relationship and valuable insights into the skills required of a ‘number two’ in a chapel or cathedral environment. Has that experience helped him when working with organ scholars, for instance?

‘I think it has. I had a wonderfully fruitful time at New College with Edward and the choir. There was much organ playing, training the probationer boy choristers, and some conducting of the main choir. I hope that the organ scholars here at Trinity know that when I’m giving them guidance, I do that from a position of having had to do it myself not so long ago. It informs the way I rehearse. I remember what it’s like as an organist to want to look at your hands when starting a difficult passage, but instead to have to be staring at a monitor or mirror for that entry. When there are difficult organ parts, we have a code – I hold out an open palm towards the organist which means I don’t expect them to look at me until they’ve negotiated those awkward stop changes or leaping pedal line. We always know the next point at which I will be conducting.’ Grahl spends an hour every week with each of the two organ scholars, to prepare accompaniments and work on their choir training and conducting skills, while other organ tutors cover solo repertoire.

Steven Grahl and the choir at a recording session in the chapel last autumn (photo: Paul Ashley)

Before taking up the reins at Trinity, Grahl spent a decade as a cathedral director of music: four years at Peterborough, then five as Director of Music at Christ Church Oxford. ‘The time at Christ Church was rewarding despite the challenges of Covid. I enjoy working with children’s choirs and the department grew with the adoption of Frideswide Voices, the girls’ choir.’ Grahl’s appointment was a faculty post, meaning that he was also an associate professor with teaching responsibilities in college. ‘The atmosphere of the two colleges is quite similar and I have wonderful colleagues at Christ Church and now also at Trinity. I enjoy being part of that collegial, intellectual, research- and teaching-led community and it’s important to position the choir within the university’s historical, cultural and educative life.’ At Trinity, Grahl’s chapel-based role, though busy, affords him some time to work on other projects, including performing and guest conducting. The role of Director of Music at Trinity is seldom vacant; Grahl’s predecessor Stephen Layton held the post for 17 years, Richard Marlow for 38 years. Notable earlier incumbents include Raymond Leppard, Alan Gray and C V Stanford.

The choir was named ‘fifth best choir in the world’ by Gramophone magazine. Its sound and musical approach in some way characterises its directors’ ideals. After a year of working with these voices, does Grahl have some insight into the choral character that he has inherited? ‘I want it to be more than the sum of its parts. One hopes to find a cohesion by encouraging people to sing well – bel canto, a good legato – encouraging people to listen, encouraging that sense of commitment and togetherness in the group.’ He admits that finding that ‘infinitesimal quality’ can be elusive. He also wants to leave room for the individual singers to invest in what the choir achieves. ‘There is scope for me to leave some doors open, to make space for individuals to contribute. I try to shape the sound without being too autocratic.’

Of the choir’s 30 voices, two-thirds are choral scholars at Trinity College, while the volunteers from other colleges enjoy similar benefits: three free dinners in hall each week, individual singing tuition from expert tutors, a digital piano in their rooms, one or two choir tours every year and plentiful recording opportunities. Interestingly, less than half of the choir are reading music as an academic subject, but that doesn’t make them any less of a rounded musician. ‘Mathematicians, natural scientists, linguists, historians – someone who’s reading for a PhD in chemistry may also be a fine composer or director of the College Music Society. There is a strong sense of a musical community here which is in no way limited to those studying the subject.’

There are three services plus a rehearsal each week during term time. This year the choir will perform with the Britten Sinfonia, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and collaborate with the Centre for Music Performance in Cambridge; tours abroad will include northern France, the Netherlands and Germany. Planning when these extra-curricular commitments happen is paramount so that students are not overburdened during examination periods. Recordings are often made in January and July, and the major tour taken in July. Grahl likes the fact that many students choose Trinity because of the range of activities they can pursue alongside their studies.

In previous decades, not least at the height of the CD vogue, the choir released 51 recordings under Richard Marlow’s direction and 25 under that of Stephen Layton. There is an impressive online resource too, containing all streamed music (more than 7,000 tracks) including audio from 2012 onwards and video from 2019. Grahl emphasises that the CD market is increasingly a thing of the past, and that online streaming and downloading of individual tracks has completely changed the game for recordings. The choir maintains an ongoing relationship with Hyperion Records, and plans are underway for more releases in the future.

Recently we filmed an introduction to this year’s New Music series for which there will be three new choral compositions and an organ piece written by talented composers in the early stages of their careers. The first piece, by Alice Beckwith [see p34], was recorded at that session, along with another work by Dame Judith Weir. Watching the takes, and the moments of rehearsal and relaxation in between, is revealing. The valuable relationship that Grahl has fostered with the choir in his first year is obvious; there are smiles, laughter, and then keen concentration. Although the new piece has only been seen at a rehearsal the previous day, there is precision singing from take one; eyes focused on the conductor, heads out of copies, and that crystal-clear tone, now I sense with an added warmth to it. The singers are ‘scrambled’, not aligned in sections, a concept which Stephen Layton introduced. It adds homogeneity and strengthens confidence. To some extent this formation is also applied in the choir stalls, but not generally for recordings. Grahl finds that it enhances tuning and gives the singers a better understanding of the choral blend around them.

Grahl’s respect for every student here is reflected in a symbiosis that goes beyond the musical realm. ‘I’m struck by the collective commitment and sheer intellectual heft in the room. There is a clear culture of academic endeavour among the singers. That’s as strong as the social culture, the friendships that are formed here and the sense of community that cuts across social and ethnic backgrounds as well as academic disciplines.’

Several choir members reflect on their personal experiences. Soprano Rosamund Turner says, ‘The standard of music is incredibly high and it’s always a pleasure to sing with such a close-knit, friendly group.’ Bass Sam Gray comments, ‘Singing in Trinity has been the highlight of my week for the past four years. It has introduced me to a whole range of repertoire, and allowed me to develop skills that I otherwise wouldn’t have gained.’ Another bass, Benedict Randall Shaw, adds, ‘I’m in my fifth year in the choir now, and still learning new repertoire and techniques.’ Soprano Lily Kemp says, ‘I have made my closest friendships in choir; this is an added bonus to the unique and incredible musical journey I have been on over the last three years.’ Senior organ scholar Augustine Cox is grateful too: ‘The Metzler organ is one of the finest Baroque-style instruments in the UK, and I am fortunate to be working under Steven Grahl, who maintains a light-hearted atmosphere in rehearsal while achieving high standards.’

Any students who might be thinking about university life at Cambridge, and Trinity as the place to study, are welcome to make contact with Steven Grahl at any time. ‘I’d be happy to meet and advise any prospective choral or organ scholars and give them guidance on what they might like to work on. We are building new partnerships in relation to access and participation and the choir already has established links in South London through Trinity in Camberwell.’

The choir regularly commissions new works from established composers, and invites introits for services from members of the choir. Grahl has already mentored two of Choir & Organ’s New Music composers in their choral and organ compositions. ‘The process of working with composers is a fascinating one, and the singers enjoy it. The arrival of a composer creates a frisson in the room: someone asks a question about a word in the score, or where to take a breath, or what mood should be conveyed – there’s a sense of dialogue, of the singers being engaged in creating something entirely new.’

Thanks to Paul Nicholson and Steven Grahl for their help in bringing this project to fruition. Watch the introductory film about the 2025 Choir & Organ New Music series on our website’s New Music page along with the first of our composer’s works.

Matthew Power studied at Trinity College of Music and the University of London. He works as a writer and musician and is a contributing editor at Choir & Organ.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of Choir & Organ magazine. Never miss an issue – subscribe today