The Chorister Outreach Programme was a national government-funded scheme designed to encourage and enable cathedrals to use their musical resources to promote singing among children in primary schools. It was part of the national Sing-up programme, led by the government’s Singing Ambassador Howard Goodall, which aims to achieve Singing School status for every primary school by the year 2012.

Despite the withdrawal of central government funding, the Chorister Outreach Project continues in Devon, run as a collaboration between Exeter Cathedral and the Devon County Council Music Service. It is also supported by the Royal School of Church Music, Devon Area, and the Benedictine Community at Buckfast Abbey. Financial support is also given through a number of trusts and bursaries. The programme aims to instil and develop the joy of singing among children in primary schools, by offering specialist teaching input, continuing support and high-quality performance opportunities. It also aims to raise levels of access, achievement and aspiration, and to encourage and develop collaborative projects for singing for both pupils and staff.

Following a highly successful pilot with four Exeter schools in the spring of 2007, the project was fully launched in the Autumn Term of 2007. In each academic year, approximately 20 primary schools have taken part in the programme, involving thousands of children in total.  Alongside the direct input in primary schools, DCJC provides further opportunities for children who enjoy singing to work together and perform.  To read more about the Chorister Outreach Programme please click here.

Since the choir began in September 2007, it has performed at 12 Outreach concerts in Exeter Cathedral, Buckfast Abbey and St Andrew's Church, Plymouth. It opened the Exeter Festival in June 2008 and has given its own concerts as part of the Exeter Festivals of 2008, 2009 and 2010. In November 2008, DCJC participated in a joint concert with Exeter Philharmonic Choir and Exeter Festival Chorus in which it gave the first performance of the choir's commissioned piece, 'A Sequence for Devon,' by Andrew Millington, the Director of Music at Exeter Cathedral. On 20th December 2008, DCJC sang at 'A Christmas Celebration' in Exeter Cathedral in aid of Positive Action South West with Will Young, Christopher Timothy and Judi Spiers.

During 2009, the Devon County Junior Choir gave a joint concert with Cornwall Junior Choir in Truro Cathedral in May, a lunchtime concert as part of the Budleigh Salterton Festival in July, participated in a concert for the charity Barnardo's in Exeter Cathedral in October and sang at the Cathedral Christingle Service in December. It ended the year with two spectacular events: the choir sang with Hayley Westenra on her UK Tour when she visited Exeter Cathedral and then joined with Exeter Philharmonic Choir in its two annual Carol Concerts in Exeter Cathedral.

During 2010, DCJC again gave a concert as part of the Exeter Festival and in July, joined with Cornwall Junior Choir for a concert in Exeter Cathedral.  It ended the academic year at the Budleigh Salterton Festival where it formed the Gallery Choir in Britten's 'St Nicolas' with James Gilchrist.  In November, DCJC joined with South West Camerata, a local youth string orchestra, for a lunchtime concert and ended the year by braving the snow to reach Exeter Cathedral to sing with the King's Singers in their Christmas Concert.

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