Ep. 143 - Motivating Singers of All Backgrounds by Pursuing Excellence - Caius Lee

"Every single workshop I give is all about excellence, singing well, singing properly, and achieving the very best we can achieve. Why do we it? We don't do it because we'll be paid millions and millions of pounds. It's not cash-motivated. We do it because there is a higher purpose, a higher calling that makes us do it. I got offered a graduate scheme at university, so I could have been a corporate sellout. I'd probably arguably work less hours than I do in music, but I didn't do that. I don't have any regrets, because on an evening, I go home, I look myself in the mirror, and I can say to myself, 'we did some good stuff today.'"

Caius Lee began as a chorister at Bradford Cathedral at 11 and became the Cathedral Organ Scholar at 15. At age 17, he joined Leeds Cathedral, concurrently holding the Idlewild Conducting Scholarship and Cathedral Organ Scholarship, and was appointed Assistant Organist a year later, where he was the Diocesean Organist & Director of Music for the Lourdes annual pilgrimage and he studied Music as the Neville Burston Organ Scholar at St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge. While at the university, he founded the Florence International Singing Programme, which holds several courses yearly and has sung at prestigious churches, including Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, Saint Sulpice, Florence Cathedral, and the Vatican.

For the Addamus Choral Programme Caius Lee conducts the internationally acclaimed College Choir and Boys' Choir as well as The Jericho Youth Choir and the All Sorts Community Choir. He is also responsible for a wide range of collegiate, community, and outreach initiatives, curating Music at Worcester College at the University of Oxford, including The Oxford Choral Experience, a groundbreaking instrument learning scheme, and guest lecturer as part of Institute of Sacred Music run by the University, St Stephen’s House, and The Royal School of Church Music.

He has worked with choirs, festivals and played solo recitals in Europe, Asia and South America.

Caius's musical journey is marked by numerous collaborations that have enriched his work and excited audiences. He has conducted, played, and sang on BBC Radio (1, 2, 3 & 4), and made numerous TV appearances on BBC's Songs of Praise, and live Christmas and Easter TV broadcasts on BBC1.

His commitment to community engagement and choral excellence has been recognised with a Royal Society of Arts Fellowship and a keynote speech at the 2022 National Music Teachers Association Conference.

To get in touch with Caius, you can find the Addamus Choral Programme on Facebook (@addamuschoralprogramme) or Instagram (@addamus_official) or email him at caius.lee@worc.ox.ac.uk. 

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

Podcast music from Podcast.co
Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson