The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge has established itself as one of the leading mixed-voice choirs in the UK. The Choir comprises around thirty Choral Scholars, all of whom are ordinarily undergraduates of the College. The choir has taken various forms since its foundation, and has existed in its present form since 1982 when, shortly after the admission of girls to the University of Cambridge, female voices were used for the first time for the choir’s top lines. Four regular services are sung per week in full University Term, and the choir also sings Latin grace from the minstrels' gallery in the college’s Great Hall at a number of feasts. In addition, the choir undertakes projects outside term-time such as recordings, concerts, radio broadcasts and tours. The choir typically numbers between 25 and 35 members, most of whom are taken from within Trinity College. Outside term the Choir enjoys a programme of high-profile performances and recordings. Under former Director of Music Richard Marlow, recent UK venues have included the South Bank and the Spitalfields Festival. The current director of music is Stephen Layton, who succeeded Richard Marlow in September 2006. By statute, the Director of Music is also a Category A fellow of the college. The Choir has recorded some 40 CDs since the mid 1980s, with one recent release, Sweelinck’s Cantiones Sacrae, named a Gramophone CD of the Year. Regular radio broadcasts include the BBC’s annual broadcast from the College Chapel, of Choral Evensong or the Epiphany Carol Service. In addition to the Handel and Poulenc CDs, forthcoming recordings on Hyperion include a cappella works by Polish composer Pawel Lukaszewski. An ambitious programme of tours has taken the Choir to destinations including the USA, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Peru, as well as to many European cities. Future plans include Vierne’s Messe Solennelle in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris this September, and tours to Poland, Canada, and Australia. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.