With the departure of Chris and Pat from the group in 2026, we are now recruiting for their two roles, which for the first time involves an initial application to audition. Countertenors and baritones who are eligible are invited to submit an application online using the form on this page, in order to be considered for a first-round audition. Please make a careful note of the timelines, requirements, and further job information below and only apply once you have read all the information on this page.
Once you have settled into the role, there are many opportunities to use any existing skills and expertise in some of the group’s off-stage work. There are also opportunities to develop or discover new skills through professional development in any areas of interest.
In particular there are many opportunities for the following: arranging or composing music, editing music, teaching and education, creative writing, public speaking, graphic design, audio or video editing, social media management, finances and bookkeeping, concert programming, foreign language skills, project management, logistics and travel, and fundraising. But almost any skills you have may have a useful application in our work.
Not everything. In most concerts, we will sing some of the programme with sheet music, and some music (normally at the end) from memory. After the initial work of getting up to speed upon joining, the process of memorising music happens gradually.
Generally speaking - as long as the member is not seriously ill - we carry on managing as best we can in order to fulfil our obligations to the promoter and audience. We very readily adapt programmes or pieces to help support the ill member. In more serious scenarios, we can perform 5-man programmes (although this happens rarely).
There are a few mechanisms which help us maintain a healthy home life: we have a system of paternity leave, we have holiday periods which line up approximately with school holidays, we give ourselves N/A periods before and after tours, and there are further diary rules which balance business needs with the need for a happy home life. There are also opportunities for partners or family to tour with us.
The six of us are genuine friends as well as business partners. This friendship and affection shows itself on stage in our music-making and off-stage. In order to protect this important dynamic, over the last 6 years we have taken coaching from an internationally-respected teamwork and leadership consultant, who gives us tools and language to enhance our communication with each other.
No you don’t. Our name originates from King’s College, Cambridge where the group was founded. But for many decades we have recruited based on vocal and musical skills, regardless of any specific educational institution.
People leave the group for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it relates to the particular demands of the job, sometimes it’s in order to pursue a new or different vocation, and sometimes in order to prioritise family life or personal circumstances. There are various formal mechanisms in the group’s Partnership Agreement (which is the equivalent of our employment contract) for triggering a departure, and the group is always committed to supporting a smooth and positive departure.
It varies from year to year, but on average we expect to do somewhere in the region of 100-115 concerts. Occasionally, such as in an anniversary season, we may take on more. The busiest year in recent history was the 2018 50th anniversary year, which had 138 concerts in it. But this is rare.
The form below asks about your eligibility, background, experience and skills. Please answer honestly and as fully as you can. For successful applicants, there will be further questions and informal interviews later in the process.
The application form includes the submission of an audio recording. This recording will not be the primary basis of our shortlisting, and does not need to be professional quality, but may be used to compare similar applicants.
We ask applicants for both roles to submit a recording of two verses of the traditional folksong O Waly Waly (The water is wide), sung in A major. A downloadable score can be found below. The recording should be of you singing unaccompanied. You may also submit an additional recording of you singing in an ensemble, though this is not required.
If you are planning to apply, for ease of uploading we recommend you record and save files (mp3 recommended, 100MB maximum) to your device before filling in the application form.
