London Oratory School Schola

The London Oratory School Schola is a choir for Catholic boys of the London Oratory School established in 1996 by John McIntosh CBE. The current director of the Schola is Charles Cole. The choir's patrons are Princess Michael of Kent, barrister Cherie Blair, actor Simon Callow and composer James MacMillan. Musical Directors The choir's founding director was Michael McCarthy. After seven years with the Schola, McCarthy moved to the US to become the Director of Music at Washington National Cathedral. He was succeeded by Steven Grahl, who is now Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. He was followed by Lee Ward, who combined work as Director of the Schola with his duties as Director of Music at the London Oratory School. Lee Ward left the school in July 2012 to take up a new post in São Paulo, Brazil before returning to the UK as Director of Music at Liverpool Cathedral. Since September 2012 the Director of the Schola has been Charles Cole, formerly director of the Schola Cantorum at the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in London. Performances An annual performance is the Schola Foundation Concert. This concert featured the world premiere of Roxanna Panufnik's "Schola Missa de Angelis" - a work written for the choir. The London Oratory Schola Foundation is a charity set up to help finance the Schola and its work. Past concerts have included Panufnik's Westminster Mass, Britten's St Nicholas, Jenkins' Armed Man, Haydn's Missa in tempore belli and many sacred choral works.