Successful applicants receive:
- Free membership of Levens Choir
- Music supplied free of charge
- Individual singing tuition, or help with the cost thereof
- Provision of an accompanist for singing exams, or help with the cost
- Free participation at Choral Days and other Choral Workshops
* This age limit could be extended in line with individual circumstances such as extended degree courses, etc.
Contact Bridget Lovell: 0798.847.1313,
Keir McGregor: ‘Being a Choral Scholar with Levens Choir has given me an opportunity to sing with an accomplished choir and further my skills and knowledge of repertoire and singing technique. The recent tour to the Bristol area represented a great chance to sing for the first time in some prestigious venues, churches and cathedrals with wonderful acoustics. Performing music on a national scale is very rewarding. The choir’s repertoire spans from Palestrina to Walton and beyond, which means there are always new pieces to discover and enjoy. The provision of a bursary to pay for singing lessons is an incredibly beneficial aspect of the scholarship scheme, giving me the chance to improve my technical ability without my parents and I having to worry about the financial aspects of lessons. Being in the choir alongside other scholars and older members who share an enjoyment of music means that rehearsals and performances are interesting and entertaining, so I would highly recommend becoming a Choral Scholar.’
Anna Cooper was one of our choral scholars back in 2006. Anna performed at Glyndebourne as Soeur Alice in Barrie Kosky’s 2023 production of Dialogues des Carmèlites which received many 5* reviews.
She covered Hippolyta in Glyndebourne’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and covered the role of 2nd Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in summer 2024. She took the role of Guido Ferranti in Edward Lambert's "parlour opera" The Duchess of Padua, and will return to Cumbria for the Cumbria Opera Group's new show in August - details here. More information about Anna can be found here.
Faye Bowness was a choral scholar at Levens Choir until 2017 when she left for university. She completed her BA in Music and PGDip in Vocal Studies at the University of York; she took part in numerous operatic opportunities during her studies, playing Konstanze in the University's Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, and performing Come Scoglio with their concert orchestra.
She has now returned to Cumbria, singing with Preston Opera in several productions including currently as Giulietta in Tales of Hoffman, and also performing in COG's St John's Passion and Joan Rodger's masterclass earlier this year. She has recently started lessons with Amanda Roocroft and performed as a soloist in Preston Opera's showcase of 'The Joys of Operetta’ in 2023. Hear her in action
Faye said ‘During my time as a scholar I gained an integral understanding into what it was like to sing with really accomplished singers whilst learning unusual and challenging repertoire. Levens also encouraged their scholars to sing solos during their concerts, which has led to a great love of performing as a soloist for choirs in the area ’. For more about Faye, click here.
Another former Choral Scholar is Kira Thomas, whose family is still in the Arnside area. She left us to study music at Bristol and completed her MA there last year. Click here to see one of the many things she is up to now..!
