A choir of 32 'Old Monmothians' sang Evensong at Westminster Abbey this month.

The choir was made up of pupils from both senior Haberdashers’ Monmouth schools, who gathered in London to say a special farewell to their departing director of music of 22 years, David Lawson.

They started the day with a rehearsal at noon in Cheyneygates - the room where Elizabeth Woodville sought sanctuary from Richard III and where Saint Thomas More was confined before he was sent to the Tower of London.

Left to right: Sam Rolls, Thomas Hodkinson Eleanor Moore, Miles Taylor, Izzy Harrison, Tabby Prosser-Wrench. (Image: Submitted) Evensong then began at 5pm and, according to the organist at the abbey, the Old Monmothians was the ‘best’ visiting choir this summer.

The presiding Canon said the singing was ‘spectacular’ and asked the choir to return.

The music for the service consisted of a sung set of Responses by Shephard, Psalm 116 to a chant by Walford Davies, the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D by George Dyson, and the Anthem was the ‘Evening Hymn’ by Balfour Gardiner.

The organ voluntary: Nun Danket alle Gott by Karg-Elert was performed by Old Monmothian Jordan Wong, former Organ Scholar at Jesus College Cambridge.

Evensong was attended by visitors to the City of London along with family and friends of the choir.

Thomas Hodkinson, on behalf of the choir, said: "The performance was a fitting tribute to David Lawson and was an act of thanks for the great influence that he has had on choristers and musicians who have passed through Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools over the past 20 years.

"We also owe a special thank you to Rory Booth for organising the venue. It was a tremendous experience and a real privilege.”