Maintaining a most precious building
King's College Chapel...
The Tudor roses have been eroded by acid rain, some of the stone animal figures are unrecognisable and the stonework framing the stained glass is being cracked by the 16th century iron bars holding the glass in place. Now, however, the first stage of a £3 million programme of essential work to repair and refurbish the Chapel is underway.
Thanks to my time as a Choral Scholar in the King's Choir I have been able to live a life of music. No amount of money can adequately repay what I owe to the College.
Robin Boyle (King's, 1955)
The Chapel, which is almost 500 years old, is one of the most iconic and precious buildings not only in Cambridge, but in the UK and beyond. King's College takes very seriously its duty to maintain it. Income from visitor admissions helps considerably with running costs, but does not cover refurbishment of the Chapel. The College is therefore deeply appreciative of donations towards its upkeep and has received generous support from music publisher Robin Boyle (King's, 1955).
"King's has had a seminal and priceless influence on my life," says Robin, a former choral scholar. Robin had been singing since the age of seven and was a choirboy at Westminster Abbey, singing for the Queen's Wedding in 1947. Robin, who describes himself as a 'built-in entrepreneur', opted for a business career after King's, including serving as Chairman, Chief Executive and Director of Faber Music for fifteen years. His 'stable' at Faber eventually included several composers from King's, Thomas Adès, Julian Anderson, and George Benjamin, as well as Malcolm Arnold, Benjamin Britten, Carl Davis, Jonathan Harvey, Oliver Knussen, Nicholas Maw, Paul McCartney, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and John Woolrich.
