S.F.X. Boys' Choir, Liverpool
| Company type | Choir |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Liverpool , United Kingdom |
| Products | CDs, live performances |
The S.F.X. Boys' Choir was a Catholic boys' choir active between 1994 and 2007. It achieved national prominence by featuring on the revamped version of The Farm's 1990 track "Alltogethernow" and earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1998 as the first choir to perform in all 49 cathedrals and abbeys across England and Wales.
History
Consisting of 24 choristers alongside 18 choral scholars, all members were students at the college, with leadership positions assigned annually. Typically, choral scholars were promoted from the ranks of choristers, some receiving honorary recognition after seven years of service.
From 1995 until 2005, the choir toured extensively throughout England and Continental Europe, including three visits to Italy where they performed twice for Pope John Paul II in 1999 and again in 2002. Their international engagements expanded with a three-week tour of the Eastern United States in 2004, performing in key cities such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Over the course of eleven years, they appeared in 90 cathedrals worldwide.
Between 2001 and 2005, they held the role of 'choir-in-residence' at Windsor Castle, serving as official guests and singing weekly services at St. George's Chapel, as well as frequently performing at Westminster Abbey.
The choir produced eight CDs and participated in numerous media events. A highlight includes their live carol performances for six consecutive nights on Granada Reports during Christmas 2000. From 2001 through 2006, they led the Hillsborough Memorial Service at Anfield Stadium and annually featured in the BBC Radio Merseyside Carol Service broadcast from Liverpool Cathedral on Christmas Eve. In 2001, they delivered a special performance of "You'll Never Walk Alone" before Liverpool's UEFA match against AS Roma.
Their most notable commercial achievement was contributing to England’s official Euro 2004 anthem—a special rendition of 'Alltogethernow' alongside The Farm—that reached number five on the UK singles chart. The choir received a gold disc and appeared live on Top of the Pops in June 2004, additionally performing live at an England versus Iceland match prior to Euro 2004.
In the year 2000, the choir was awarded first place at the National School Choir Festival.
Choir tours
- April 1994 - Bury St. Edmunds
- April 1995 - Venice/Florence, ITALY
- August 1995 - Lincoln
- March 1996 - Kraków, POLAND
- July 1996 - St. Albans
- April 1997 - Paris, FRANCE
- July 1997 - St. Albans
- October 1997 - Canterbury
- April 1998 - Barcelona, SPAIN
- July 1998 - Oxford
- October 1998 - Canterbury
- April 1999 - York
- May 1999 - Bury St. Edmunds
- August 1999 - Rome, ITALY
- October 1999 - Canterbury
- April 2000 - Bury St. Edmunds
- May 2000 - Ripon
- July 2000 - Cologne, GERMANY and St. Albans
- October 2000 - Lincoln
- April 2001 - York
- May 2001 - Bath
- July 2001 - Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC and Windsor Castle
- October 2001 - Salisbury and Winchester
- April 2002 - Lincoln
- May 2002 - York
- July 2002 - Windsor Castle and Westminster Abbey
- August 2002 - Rome, ITALY
- October 2002 - St. Albans
- April 2003 - HOLLAND and BELGIUM
- May 2003 - Lincoln
- July 2003 - Windsor Castle
- October 2003 - Salisbury and Winchester
- April 2004 - York
- June 2004 - Peterborough and Ely
- July 2004 - Windsor Castle and Westminster Abbey
- August 2004 - Boston, New York, and Washington, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- October 2004 - Salisbury and Winchester
- February 2005 - Norwich
- March 2005 - Durham
- July 2005 - Vienna, AUSTRIA
- August 2005 - Windsor Castle and Westminster Abbey
- October 2005 - Canterbury