The south London community where ‘pioneering’ scholarship choristers are made

S t Paul’s Cathedral school, one of the UK’s most prestigious private schools, has long been associated with the musical elite. So was seven-year-old N’raeah, from south London , nervous about auditioning for its internationally renowned choir? “No,” she said, beaming. “Everybody’s counting on me to sing beautifully.” And sing beautifully, she did. N’raeah is the fourth chorister from St John the Divine, Kennington (SJDK) to win a fully funded scholarship to one of the UK’s most prestigious musical institutions in recent years. Other choristers from the church have secured scholarships at Westminster Abbey, King’s College, Cambridge and St John’s College, Cambridge, with some going on to perform at national events including the coronation of King Charles III. The achievement is striking given the challenges facing the local community. SJDK serves an area of Lambeth marked by high levels of deprivation and youth violence. Many families from migrant backgrounds have also lived through years of anxiety linked to the Windrush scandal and hostile immigration policies. N’raeah’s mother says she was overwhelmed when she heard her daughter had got into St Paul’s Cathedral school. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian The local church primary school, from which many choristers are recruited, faced closure before being saved by a fierce campaign from parents and the wider community. …