Truro Cathedral’s choristers celebrated the news that they will be featuring at King Charles III’s coronation by joining the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce for their ‘Big Breakfast’ networking event at the Alverton Hotel.

The 100-plus members of the chamber were able to learn more about the choir’s intense educational pathway and their world-class reputation. 

They took time to congratulate the choir on their exciting Coronation news and even had the chance to singing alongside with them.

The 34 young choristers made a dramatic entrance, filing through the dining tables in their crimson cassocks before coming into formation. 

Chamber CEO Kim Conchie then set out a challenge to members to ‘name that tune’.

The choristers also performed ‘Grenfell from Today’, a piece commissioned by the charity Cornwall Hugs Grenfell in 2018 and talked about their charity work. 

The choristers’ have raised nearly £20,000 in the last five years for Unicef’s VaccinAid and Ukraine programmes. 

Chamber members then took up the invitation to join the choir in a performance of the ‘Choristers’ Cornish Blessing.’

The purpose of the visit was to further widen awareness of the chorister programme and invite financial support to ensure it remains open to every gifted child in Cornwall, regardless of family resource. 

Director of music Christopher Gray and charity campaigner Esmé Page gave a keynote speech detailing the choristers’ intensive five-year training and wrap-around pastoral care provided by partner, Truro School. 

The pair detailed the choir’s award-winning reputation in the music industry and its innovative outreach work, raising aspiration and spreading expertise to schools in Cornwall and nation-wide.  

Kim Conchie said: “The fact that, from all the choirs in the Commonwealth, some of Truro’s girl choristers have been picked to sing at the Coronation is testament to Christopher Gray’s extraordinary expertise and daily dedication of these young singers. 

“As Esmé Page said, these are not just the cathedral’s choristers, they’re Cornwall’s choristers and here at Cornwall Chamber, we couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Members of the chamber were impressed with the choristers.

Ian Harris, CEO, Cornwall Business Connections, said: “A real treat to see and hear the choristers from Truro Cathedral and to celebrate them being invited to sing at the King’s Coronation – what a privilege.”

Julian Waring, regional fundraising manager for Fisherman’s Mission, added: “To hear and then have the privilege to sing with the Truro Cathedral Choir will be a wonderful memory.”

Julia Jeffry, fundraising officer at Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, said: “I was left in awe of the amazing Truro Cathedral Choristers – a real privilege to hear them sing. It certainly gave me goosebumps.”

Nadia Mills, People Hub Partnership at Cornwall Council, admitted she was so moved and inspired by the choir’s performance that she cried, while James Ferguson, director of X-press Legal Services, said it had been a tick of his bucket list to sing with a world class choir.