Carlisle Cathedral Old Choristers' Association
CCOCA was founded in 1906 with the encouragement of the acting Master of the Music, Mr (later Sir) Sydney Nicholson. Nicholson went on to found the forerunner of the Royal School of Church Music.
“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!”
The founding purpose of CCOCA was to provide a means for former choristers to stay in contact after leaving the Choir. It was felt that meeting and working together daily for three or four, or in some cases as many as eight years, built up a strong bond between the boys, especially as there was a choir school in those days. The Association holds a reunion annually, normally in July.
CCOCA is affiliated to the Federation of Cathedral Old Choristers’ Associations. FCOCA holds an annual festival, which is a week-end event. It publishes a magazine annually – Once a Chorister.
