Diocesan Schools Choir

Hearing the future generations' voice

The Diocesan Schools Choir

The Diocesan Schools Choir involves eight primary schools. They are St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, The Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School in Northampton, St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School, St Monica’s Catholic Primary School, St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, Bishop Parker Catholic Primary School and St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School in Milton Keynes.

Currently, two children’s choirs within the Diocese (one in each town) gather once a week. The Northampton choir rehearses at Thomas Becket Secondary School and the Milton Keynes choir rehearses at St Paul’s Secondary School.

“We have been fortunate to run a rolling programme to enable all pupils from years 2-6 to experience the pure joy of singing. I have seen the impact of this first-hand throughout their engagement in singing in lessons and through collective worship.

Children look forward to their sessions and are disappointed when they finish. This has not only helped with confidence and self-esteem but also behaviour and pupil and teacher well-being. Staff have also enjoyed working as part of the group and participating in lessons with you because of your enthusiasm and knowledge of music especially singing.”

Carmel Dodds, Headteacher of The Good Sheperd Catholic Primary School (Northampton)

Northampton Diocese

The Schools Choir was first introduced into our schools in 2022 and Marcela Campana, our Choral Director, currently works in schools across Milton Keynes and Northampton. Singing is uniquely accessible to all kinds of people. It’s a form of music that offers a range of individual and social benefits to both those performing and those listening.

We as a Diocese believe in providing a safe environment for our youth so that they can thrive and learn more about themselves. The Choir helps the youth become more confident in their ability and therefore allows them to be more outgoing in all areas of their life. Furthermore, they are able to make new friends and have opportunities to see new things within their faith.

Join the Choir

Join the Cathedral Junior Choir

Come and be a part of the Northampton Cathedral Junior Choir! Rehearsals are every Wednesday at 4:15pm and take place at the St. Thomas Centre (NN2 6AG). The Choir is open to children ages 7 to 12 Years old and no experience is needed

If you are interested, please click the link below to fill out a short form:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=EX-s6ULeo0q-M6-bspdID_9VfUpQ_85LtG3O_fk3lLhUMjRCNTBEWlA4U0lOVEpNTDhFV0xOMkVGRS4u&origin=QRCode

Upcoming Events

40 Hours of Eucharistic Adoration

We’re delighted that the Northampton Cathedral Junior Choir will be performing as part of the 40 Hours of Eucharistic Adoration at Northampton Cathedral on Saturday, 27th September at 4:00 PM.

We look forward to sharing the joy of music with the wider community!

David Oakley, Bishop of Northampton

“This will provide so many opportunities for our young people to grow in confidence and character. It will also build a strong and vibrant liturgical tradition in our Cathedral and elsewhere. When we joyfully sing to the Lord, it enables us to share the Good News of God’s Kingdom amongst us with each other and to pass on the tradition of faith we have received to the next generation of disciples. Let us sing to the Lord a new song!’

Events the Choir has attended

Junior Choir Mass – Sunday 27th April

The Northampton Diocese Junior Choir (Milton Keynes) will be leading the music at Mass on Sunday 27th April at 6:30PM at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church (Langcliffe Drive, Heelands, Milton Keynes, MK13 7PL).
This is a wonderful opportunity for the children to showcase their hard work and contribute to the parish community through music. We’ve captured a short video of the children rehearsing, which you can view here

Junior Choir Recruitment – Northampton Cathedral

The Northampton Cathedral Junior Choir is still actively recruiting. We’ll be leading the music for Mass at the Cathedral on Sunday 18th May and we’d love to welcome new voices in time for this occasion.

Marcela Campana, Choral Director

“Singing in a choir has been proven to have multiple benefits. Firstly, singing boosts the children’s confidence and self-esteem, allowing them to participate in an activity that involves them artistically. Secondly, research has shown that children who sing in a chorus significantly improve their memory skills and learning abilities, thus enhancing their academic performance. Last, but not least, collective singing develops a strong sense of belonging, and creates long-lasting friendships.”

Fr. Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami

“On behalf of the parish community, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to you and the Children’s Choir for the beautiful music you led during the Divine Mercy Sunday Mass yesterday. Your dedication, preparation, and the joy with which the children sang truly lifted our hearts. The voices of the children were so pure and full of life. It is clear that the time, love, and faith you pour into your work with the choir are bearing wonderful fruits. Your leadership not only helps the children grow in their musical talents but also nurtures their faith and confidence in a very special way. Thank you once again for offering such a beautiful gift to God and to our parish family. May the Risen Lord continue to bless you, your family, and all the children you guide, and may He reward you abundantly for your service”.
With sincere gratitude,
Fr. Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami

Latest Event News

To crown the exceptional year 2024/25, the choir participated in the Becket Festival on Saturday, 5th July. We sang during the Mass celebrating the Translation of the Relics of Saint Thomas Becket at midday. The Mass, presided over by Bishop David, also marked the 175th anniversary of our Diocese. It was a deeply meaningful event attended by many distinguished guests, and once again, our choir was warmly praised and celebrated.