Choristers Shine on St Michael’s Mount in Live BBC Broadcast

Our senior choristers experienced a once-in-a-lifetime experience as they sang live on BBC Radio 3’s Carols Across the Country, broadcast from the iconic St Michael’s Mount.

Arriving by amphicraft over land and sea, the young singers made their way to the iconic tidal island, where they were met with breath taking views of the historic battlemented church and the cobbled causeway washed by the incoming tide. 

Singing alongside the professional adults of the cathedral choir and under the direction of the Cathedral’s Director of Music, James Anderson-Besant, the choristers performed a selection of carols in the mount’s intimate chapel, surrounded by centuries of history. Petroc Trelawny, host of the programme, brought his signature warmth and expertise, weaving stories of Cornwall’s carolling traditions and the fascinating history of St Michael’s Mount. The choristers were thrilled to be part of such a significant broadcast.  

Later that afternoon, there was another live broadcast on Radio 3 with a Truro School connection: the annual advent service from St John’s College, Cambridge, always a highlight in the choral music calendar, featured a new composition by OT and former chorister Helena Paish, who is now studying at the Royal Academy of Music. The Director of Music at St John’s College is Christopher Gray, also formerly of Truro Cathedral.

Listeners can tune in to the performance on BBC Sounds, where the choristers’ voices, paired with the mystique of St Michael’s Mount, promise to transport audiences to a place of Christmas wonder.

Huge thanks to Truro School and Cathedral staff, the BBC Radio 3 team and all the staff at the Mount and the St Aubyn family for their incredible hospitality.

You can listen here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0025dc8