16 COVER STORY TRINITY TODAY MORE THAN JUST A CHOIR Although Trinity’s choir is first and foremost about creating music, its greater impact runs much deeper. ‘The choir teaches discipline, an appreciation of what music can add to life, and what being in a top-performing team is like,’ says Belinda. ‘Looking back, the discipline aspect was not always fun, but singing beautiful music is a pretty easy way to develop this important life skill. I learnt I love to travel the world and sing too.’ Christopher also nominates travelling as a point of value. ‘A benefit to the students on tour is that they get to experience the world, and they get to work intensively as a team for a month to refine their performance skills,’ he says. ‘Overall, singing in the choir is good for them intellectually. It’s good for them socially. It’s just good for them full stop.’ Michael says the relationships that form within the choir also can’t be underestimated, with many of his students still good friends, while some even went on to get married. (Siobhan married Trinity alumnus Nelson Yarwood in the Chapel last year with a choir performance.) Furthermore, Christopher suggests the choir has the ability to touch personally those who listen. ‘You can just come and sit quietly for half an hour and think,’ he says, encouraging others to engage with the choir and Chapel. ‘It’s a chance to hear something beautiful and know that nobody’s going to try to convert you if you’re not that way inclined. I think a chapel like Trinity’s has a lot to offer the community.’ Not least is the role Trinity’s choir plays in preserving the College’s important culture. ‘In today’s age, it’s really special to have something so steeped in positive tradition,’ says Siobhan. ‘Donning the red and white cassock and surplice each week made me feel like I was part of something bigger than myself; a legacy that existed before and after my time at Trinity.’ Were you part of Trinity’s choir? We’d love to hear about your fondest memories. Email: tt@trinity.unimelb.edu.au or Facebook: facebook.com/trinityunimelb LEFT: The choir in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. TOP: On the steps of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. RIGHT: Organ scholar Tom Baldwin at Montpellier Cathedral. n During university terms, Trinity’s choir performs Evensong on Thursdays at 5.45pm, and Sundays at 5pm with a sermon. All are welcome to attend. n Choir tours happen thanks to the generous donations of Trinity’s family and friends. If you’re interested in supporting choristers on future international tours, please visit our donation page at trinity.unimelb.edu.au/ donate and select ‘Music at Trinity’. n The Choir of Trinity College has recorded eight CDs for ABC Classics, plus three titles under its own label. Tracks can be downloaded via the Trinity College iTunes store; CDs can be purchased through the Trinity College online shop at shop.trinity.unimelb.edu.au