Piers Connor Kennedy Appointed as King's Singers Bass

Piers, who was a Lay Clerk with the Choir of St John’s College from 2016 to 2018, expressed his excitement about this prestigious new role, sharing that he felt, “Really very humbled, chuffed to bits, and extremely excited.” 

The audition process for the King's Singers was as rigorous as one might expect for a group of their caliber. Piers described it as "fairly involved," recounting the intense final round. "The final round involved compèring a recital from within the group to an invited audience of choral bigwigs and former members, at less than a day's notice, which was probably the most terrifying thing I've ever had to do. The group's dynamic was so warm and enthusiastic that I and the other candidates pushed ourselves musically and performatively with their support. As a result, even the audition process was a real learning experience for me, and I really can't wait to discover where else it'll take me as I start rehearsals later this year." 

Reflecting on his time with St John's, Piers credited his experience singing with the Gents as instrumental in preparing him for this new chapter. "My time singing with the Gents was really the only previous experience I've had singing close harmony! So, I think it has proved very useful. I knew all those nights at the Maypole would pay off someday, but it's particularly satisfying to see it now bear visible fruitage." 

Piers' compositional talents have also been recognised. His Worcester Canticle setting will feature on the Choir’s upcoming CD, Magnificat 4, to be released on July 12th 2024. Magnificat 4 is the last St John’s Cambridge CD directed by Andrew Nethsingha. Piers said, "Now this is a real privilege. To have any of my music directed by Andrew and sung at John's is a treat, and now to have this second piece (after O Nata Lux on the New Millennium disc) feature on Andrew's last St John's disc - well, it's truly an honour. I can't wait to hear it!" 

On fond memories with John’s, Piers said, "The best choir memories I have are non-musical ones. Yes, the music-making was sublime, quite the best I've ever been part of, but the relationships borne as a result were to me even more valuable. Can there be anything else in the world quite like Johns on Tour?" 

We congratulate Piers on this remarkable achievement and look forward to following his journey with the King's Singers.  

Magnificat 4 will be released on July 12th and can be pre-ordered here: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9624613--magnificat-4