Other Old Choristers' Associations
The Trustees of the Exeter Cathedral Music Foundation are delighted to announce that an increased grant totalling £950,000 will be given to support the Cathedral choir and music over the next two academic years.
The aim of the additional grant is to enable Chapter and the musical staff to maintain the Cathedral's high musical standards through the next transitional period following the closure of Exeter Cathedral School.
The Very Reverend Stephen Waine thanked the Music Foundation Trustees for this generous pledge and added: “The grant to support Chapter with the costs associated with the provision of music here at Exeter Cathedral is most welcome as we seek to invite the local community and those further afield to come and experience the daily offering of music in our worship.”
The Foundation provides regular, critical financial support to Exeter Cathedral to sustain the Cathedral’s musical tradition (scholarships, outreach work, organ maintenance, robes, sheet music – and much more). It operates as a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation with a board of trustees who raise and manage funds. The trustees are keen to build the fund to contribute to as much of the Cathedral music costs as possible in the years ahead.
Could you support the Exeter Cathedral Music Foundation charity with a donation, a legacy or by holding an event? Further information.
Alternatively, get in touch with Jill Taylor, Director of Development
[from: Exeter Cathedral Milestones, 26 August 2026]
Many Exeter Old Choristers will be sad to learn of the death in late June of Geoffrey Mitchell. He had recently turned 90 (6th June 1936-27th June 2026).
Geoffrey was a chorister at Exeter 1944-1950 and there is a photograph in the archive of him as Head Chorister, making a presentation to the late Queen Elizabeth, when she was a princess. He wrote a fascinating series of his memoirs as a chorister, published in the ECOCA Newsletter.
He went on to have a very successful musical career as a counter-tenor and choral director. He was one of the pioneers who brought about the revival of the counter-tenor voice in the mid-twentieth century. This led to him becoming Professor of Counter-Tenor at the Royal Academy of Music.
He was a founding member of ECOCA and gave many years of service to ECOCA as member and committee member. He was held in such high regard that he become Chairman and from 2016, vice-president of the National Federation of Cathedral Old Choristers’ Associations.
He nearly always attended the Easter Reunion, until his health prevented this in recent years. More details about him and ECOCA are in his memoirs.
Quite a character! RIP
The current choir's Exeter Cathedral Choir Association has an essential aim of raising money for enrichment activities for the choristers and to help fund choir tours. You can support this at no cost to you, by simply doing your online shopping using 'Easyfunding'
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/exetercathedralchoirassoc/
Over £1,700 has been raised so far this way!