Lily Dobson – Singing Scholar

​The Music Scholars programme at St James’s started in the Autumn of 2021. Their musical talents and creativity will enhance the music of our services until the end of July 2022.

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Lily Dobson

I manage a children’s choir called Harmonies of Hope, a choir funded by BBC Children in Need

‘Hi, my name is Lily, and I am excited to say that I am one of the singing scholars at St James’s for the next year! I am currently in my final year of studying an undergraduate degree in music at King’s College London. Singing is my first study, but I also really enjoy studying musicology.

I have been playing and learning music since I was four (I was lucky that both my parents happen to be music teachers!), and took lessons in singing, piano, violin, and flute. I enjoyed all this, but it was only when I turned fifteen and was introduced to choral and church music through the Royal School of Church Music that I found the type of music which really spoke to me.

Since then, I joined the RSCM’s Millennium Youth Choir which gave me the opportunity to sing evensong in several cathedrals around the country. I am now a choral scholar at King’s College London, and also am directing a student choir at St Mary le Strand this year. I hope that directing and singing choral music will be a part of my career, so I am using the next few years to further my skills. Next year, I hope to take up a cathedral choral scholarship position.

Aside from that, I also enjoy getting involved with arts administration and music education. I manage a children’s choir called Harmonies of Hope, a choir funded by BBC Children in Need for children who are either awaiting or have received an organ transplant. They recently featured as part of NHS Blood and Transplant’s organ donation week campaign, and it was so wonderful seeing all of that come into fruition.

I’m greatly looking forward to singing, but also to getting involved in the community at St. James’s over the course of this year!’