Congregational singing is an important tradition at Bradfield, there are several entries in the Chronicle detailing the significance of the College Psalm, Psalm 91, which was sung regularly in Chapel and House Prayers in the 20th Century. It is regretful that singing of psalms, outside of our country’s great choral foundations, has fallen out of practice.

However, to celebrate the current health of congregational singing and the College’s 175th Anniversary, the Music Department commissioned the composer Bill Ives, former Informator Choristarum at Magdalen College in Oxford, to compose a new set of responses to be sung at each Friday service. Bradfield will be by no means unique amongst public schools in the singing of responses during Chapel Services, but as these are a commission, we can celebrate these as our own. A sense of ownership of the College Psalm is one important ingredient in keeping this tradition alive.

The pupil body started learning the responses at the beginning of the academic year, and they are now a confident fixture in the weekly Friday service. There is further development to go, with choir parts, and a soprano descant to the last response still to be learnt, but I am delighted that in 2025 we are adding to Bradfield’s great congregational singing tradition.

Who knows, perhaps the College Psalm, will make a return…

David Quinn, Director of Music