How it all began

In 1981, some recent music Scholars of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, found themselves unavailable for the College choir summer tour. Led by our Director, Tim Venvell, they banded together with friends from both town and gown in Oxford to sing the services at Guildford Cathedral for a week. Not yet named, the Cathedral Precentor suggested the choir be listed as the Sine Nomine Singers. The week was a success, the choir was established, called an AGM and christened itself Ex Collegio.

How it grew

The choir in its post-university form (hence Ex Collegio) has evolved over the interim 45 years, with members coming and going and new blood joining at intervals. Members married, had children, and matured gracefully. In the days when their families were around, the children came too, and formed their own choir, aptly named Pre Collegio, with the help of Tim’s wife, Kate. Now they are grown up, many going to Oxbridge choral scholarships and university music degrees, periodically returning to sing in Ex Collegio.

The choir continued with its annual week of Cathedral services each summer when the standing choirs took their summer leave. One or two weekends at other times of the year were added and the musical line up usually included a concert in aid of charity as well as the services.

Today

In 2026 Ex Collegio celebrates 45 years of choral community, now with a third generation joining the ranks. Over 300 people have sung with the choir over the years and by the end of the 2025 season Peter Smith, the keeper of the choir’s almanac, had logged:

1,367 performances of 369 pieces of music by 149 composers

202 different psalm chants by 116 composers

425 services sung (291 Evensong, 85 Eucharist, 49 Matins)

The choir has also performed with the orchestra Instruments of Time and Truth (2019), the choir and orchestra of the Stiftskirche St Peter in Salzberg (2023) and the New Chamber Singers in Rome (2025) and has plans for Durham (August 2026), London (September 2026) and Vienna (2027).