Many congratulations to one of our Future Leaders, Isobel Chesman, on her appointment as Choral Animateur at HM Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace!
Isobel will lead the way on the ‘Songstars’ programme, a pioneering programme offering enhanced singing opportunities and support for children and their teachers from state schools within the surrounding area of Hampton Court Palace.
In 2022, Cathedral Music Trust supported this work with HM Chapel Royal and kick-started a pilot year of the programme, which has continued to flourish, and in 2025 we are supporting the programme to expand and reach even more children and teachers. School workshops like these can be an important way of introducing children to cathedral music as well as offering a valuable service to schools, and we regularly support organisations to deliver them. Isobel is also Future Leader for Cathedral Music Trust, our next generation volunteers, guiding the way and engaging new audiences with cathedral music.
Isobel began her singing career as a chorister in a Lincolnshire village church, an opportunity to which she credits a blossoming career in education and performance. Isobel works for numerous organisations both locally and nationally as a choral animateur, workshop leader, singing teacher, and curriculum music provider, and relocated to Windsor in January 2025. Previously, Isobel has been based at Tewkesbury Abbey and Derby Cathedral, and continues to support these organisations as Choral Development Leader at Tewkesbury and Vocal Health Consultant at Derby. Isobel attended Newcastle University for her undergraduate studies, followed by a PGCE in Secondary Music at the UCL Institute of Education, and an MSc Performance Science at the Royal College of Music, and specialises in the vocal health of church musicians. While studying, Isobel took part in the VOCES8 and Genesis Sixteen scholarship programmes, and maintains ongoing relationships with these and other organisations through the delivery of school singing programmes and adult CPD provision.
Congratulations Isobel from all at Cathedral Music Trust!
