Biog

Robert Cross became a chorister at Ely Cathedral (Cambridgeshire, England) at the age of nine and was Head Chorister in his final year. He gained a major music scholarship into the King’s Senior School before moving on to study music (BMus) at the University of Surrey.
As a treble and through senior school years, Robert travelled with the Cathedral Choir, King’s School Chapel Choir and the King’s Barbers, performing in Holland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Poland, Malta, Paris and Rome. He has been involved in both recordings and broadcasts with these choirs, including as a soloist, and through this training has been very fortunate to sing in various productions featuring renowned musicians. During a gap year Robert completed his DipABRSM Diploma as a Countertenor and also sang occasionally as a deputy Lay Clerk in Ely Cathedral.
Robert has been involved in an increasing number of solo performances. These include Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and, whilst at University, Handel’s Messiah and Vivaldi’s Gloria with the University Orchestra in Guildford and Bach’s Ascension Cantata in Ely Cathedral.
In 2005, Robert organised and performed in a successful charity “Countertenor & Continuo” concert in Chippenham Church, raising over 1,000 pounds for the Prostate Cancer Charity. Also in that year, he was awarded first prize in the ‘Supporting Young Singers Programme’ offered by the Hart Male Voice Choir across the southern counties. This included performing as a soloist and with the choir at the Princes Hall in Hampshire in April.
In 2006, he has peformed Handel’s Messiah in Ely Cathedral with the Ely Festival Orchestra under the directorship of Andrew Parnell, became ‘Orfeo’ in a outdoor, proms-style performance of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euricide, performed Bach’s Cantata 170 “Vergnugte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust” for solo Alto in Winchester Cathedral as part of the Winchester Festival and achieved a high first class honours for his final degree recital at University. The latter earning him the Robert Naylor Memorial Award for the most outstanding recital.
After University he took up the post of ‘Alto Lay Clerk’ at Christchurch Cathedral, New Zealand. Throughout his time in New Zealand, Robert performed in Wellington (Messiah), Auckland (Samson) [recording & review] and Christchurch (Arvo Part’s Passio and Britten’s Rejoice In The Lamb). He also took part in a recording made by the lay clerks and choral scholars of the cathedral (Memento) and a nationally televised (live) Midnight Mass service.
He returned to England in 2008 and currently lives and works in London. He sings as a ‘deputy lay clerk’ in St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London, Winchester and Rochester Cathedral choirs. With the latter, he has taken part in a CD recording (released in Dec 09), a Radio 3 broadcast (Choral Evensong) and a concert for Classic FM.
Robert also appears as a soloist for Fiori Musicalli’s recording of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 (recorded in Christ Church Oxford) and a performance of Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice In The Lamb with Clare College Choir and the Dmitri Ensemble.