The Choral Foundation
The Choral Foundation preserves and promotes the unique heritage of English choral music at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace and makes it accessible to all.
The Choral Foundation has developed the Sunday lunchtime music recitals, the open choir rehearsals, the chorister open day, the concert schedule and a programme of community outreach to encourage everyone to discover the beauty, peace and inspiration of choral music at Hampton Court.
By making a gift to The Choral Foundation you will be making your personal contribution to the future of choral music at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace.
Read our Autumn 2025 Newsletter
Choral Foundation News
Appointment of Choral Foundation Chair
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Jane Crowther as the new Chair of the Choral Foundation, following her period as Interim Chair and a full external, competitive recruitment process.
Jane brings extensive leadership and governance experience across the arts, heritage and charity sectors. She is currently Director of Corporate Services at Historic Royal Palaces, where she leads corporate strategy, governance, organisational development and change. Her career spans senior executive and trustee roles across organisations including Royal Opera and Ballet, The Bach Choir, and the National Centre for Circus Arts, alongside earlier experience in global commercial organisations.
During her time as Interim Chair, Jane has worked with the trustee team to strengthen ways of working within the Trustee group, overseen the development of the Choral Foundation’s strategy, and reinforced the strong relationships with key partners, including the Director of Music, the Chapel Royal, Historic Royal Palaces and the Royal Household. She takes up the role at a pivotal moment for the Choral Foundation, with significant opportunities ahead to broaden access to choral music and increase the Choral Foundation’s charitable impact.
A lifelong singer, Jane has a long-standing personal connection to choral music and to the Chapel Royal. She is passionate about the transformational power of music and about ensuring that the Choral Foundation’s work is accessible, sustainable and ambitious for the future.
The Trustees are excited to welcome Jane to the role of permanent Chair, and look forward to continuing to work under her leadership with all those whose work is supported by the Choral Foundation, and all those who, in turn, support the Foundation.
Commenting on her appointment, Jane said:
“It is a privilege to take on the role of Chair at such an important moment for the Choral Foundation. Having seen first‑hand the impact that singing can have — including through my son’s experience as a chorister at the Chapel Royal — I am deeply committed to the transformational power of music. I look forward to working with fellow Trustees, partners and supporters to strengthen the Choral Foundation and to extend the reach and impact of the extraordinary music at the Chapel Royal.”
Recruitment
Development Manager
The Choral Foundation — Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace
We’re looking for an experienced, proactive Development Manager to help grow fundraising support for the music of the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace — including the launch of our exciting new girl chorister programme.
What you’ll do:
- You’ll lead fundraising across major donors, trusts & foundations, alumni, legacy giving, and individual giving, supported by a small team and committed Trustees
- Deliver a high‑impact fundraising campaign for the girl chorister programme
- Collaborate closely with our key partners in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace, Historic Royal Palaces, and the Royal Household
About you:
You’ll bring broad fundraising experience, strong relationship‑building skills, excellent communication, and the confidence to work independently across a range of stakeholders. Experience in arts, heritage, church or music‑related fundraising is a bonus.
Why join us?
With a new Director of Music, a shared strategy vision, and the opportunity to establish girl choristers at Hampton Court for the first time in five centuries, this is a rare and exciting opportunity to make a significant impact.
To find out more or discuss reasonable adjustments, contact: louise.cole@choralfoundation.org.uk
Maintain the Organ
The Choral Foundation helped to fund the overhaul of the historic Schrider/Hill organ in 2013 by Harrison & Harrison of Durham. The overhaul was also made possible by the generosity of Historic Royal Palaces; thousands of individual donors; trusts and foundations such as The Garfield Weston Foundation, The ON Organ Fund, All Churches Trust and The Ecclesiastical Music Trust; and a number of gifts given in memory of organists, organ devotees and members of the congregation. Please click here to read about the overhaul of the organ and the inaugural organ recital. You can help maintain this magnificent instrument by making a gift to the organ fund.
Provide a first class musical education for free
The Choral Foundation supports and maintains the Choir, Director of Music, Organist and Organ Scholar.
To ensure that any local boy with potential has the best opportunity to train as a chorister and make progress in the choir, the Choral Foundation provides a non means-tested bursary to each boy to cover the cost of instrumental music lessons, voice coaching or music theory. This musical tuition complements a chorister’s training. To find the Chapel Royal choristers of the future, the Choral Foundation funds an open day for prospective choristers and their parents in September each year.
Being a chorister of the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court is the finest musical education that a child can receive, and an experience that stands him in good stead for any future career, musical or otherwise. Many choristers play several musical instruments and gain musical scholarships to their next school or places at national conservatoires. Some choristers go on to play the organ, and several have become organ scholars at local churches and at their universities. You can sponsor a chorister or contribute to the bursary fund in a number of ways and have the award named or dedicated as you wish.
Nurture the congregation
His Majesty The King makes his Chapel available to everyone who wishes to wishes to worship according to the Book of Common Prayer and to those who wish to experience first-hand the unique heritage of English choral music that has accompanied the worship of monarchs from Tudor times to the present day.
The Chapel Royal is a royal peculiar and not subject to parish boundaries. Enquiries are warmly welcomed from those wishing to join the congregation or to make a visit. Please click here for Chapel Royal contact information.
Renew and replace
The Choral Foundation invites you to contribute to capital projects to renew or replace various items of musical and choir equipment.
The practice piano used by the choir is more than 50 years old and requires constant tuning; well used music folders, sheet music and hymnals are always in need of repair as many are rare or out of print; the cassocks and ruffs need replenishing as the number of choristers increases, as does their height! If the Choral Foundation can support these day to day requirements then the Chapel Royal can ensure that its funds are spent on producing the programme of music that inspires the congregation and visitors.
How can I make a difference?
Our Patrons and Trustees
The Board of Trustees of the Choral Foundation is made up of a range of professional people who have some existing or past link to the choir and who care about its future. The Patrons of the charity are The Rt Revd & Rt Hon The Lord Chartres GCVO, Sometime Dean of HM Chapels Royal; The Revd Canon Denis Mulliner LVO; Dame Judith Weir DBE, Sometime Master of The King’s Music; Harry Christophers CBE; and Rick Astley.
Donate today
Click on the ‘JustGiving’ tab below to donate to the Choral Foundation. You can also sign up to Easyfundraising to generate a small amount for the Choral Foundation whenever you shop online.
We thank you in advance for your support.
Registered Charity Number:
1142075
Company Number: 7542466
All photographs of the Chapel Royal or taken in the Chapel Royal are with the gracious permission of His Majesty The King.
Copyright © HM Chapel Royal and The Choral Foundation 2011-2022. You may not use any imagery on this website without permission.
The Chapel Royal
Hampton Court Palace
KT8 9AU