About David

David Knowles, University College alumnus (2010-13), was a talented, kind and generous individual.

He joined the major UK news title The Telegraph in 2020 and went on to become its Head of Social Media. He was perhaps best-known for launching the daily podcast Ukraine: The Latest, which reported on the ongoing conflict with Russia. It became The Telegraph’s most listened-to podcast and won the Best News Podcast at the Publisher Podcast Awards.

After graduating, David remained closely connected to his alma mater. He returned to Durham in 2023 to contribute to a careers event at Castle in which he shared tips with our students on how to pursue a career in journalism, social media and podcasting. David was generous with his time and gave Castle students many meaningful insights, sharing his professional expertise with wit, warmth and sincerity.

About the Project

Amongst his many interests, David was a keen musician and an active member of University College Chapel Choir, during his time in Durham. In order to remember David and his contributions to our College, we will be working closely with students, David's friends and family to commission a music recording in his memory.

The recording will be performed by the current members of our Chapel Choir. The project will give the choir an invaluable opportunity to participate in a professional music recording, from conception to the distribution of the finished piece. It will be a celebration of the musical excellence we enjoy in college life today, which David so valued.

The choir’s last recording release was pre-COVID, and there is a palpable sense that given the choir’s recent successes and current level of performance, this is the perfect time to mark this point in the choir’s history through a recording. The aim of the recording is to remember David and his contribution to the College as well as creating a well-rounded and diverse disc of music that the choir will enjoy performing, will be enjoyed by the listener, promotes Durham’s musical landscape and its legacy, champions lesser-known and unrecorded works and is overall an inspiring and uplifting celebration of wonderful sacred music. The disc will be recorded in St Cuthbert’s Chapel at Ushaw College, a breath-taking space with an acoustic and organ perfect for the choir and their repertoire. It is an absolute privilege to perform and record there, an opportunity that choirs in Durham are very rarely granted.

The Choir is planning to record the disc with Convivium Records, a highly prestigious label which focuses on spotlighting upcoming British talent. This will help to ensure that the album will be widely promoted and gain extensive publicity, not only showcasing Castle’s thriving choral scene but also the wider musical community in Durham. The project has the potential to really bring light to the choral talent we have in Durham and establishing it as a national hub of choral excellence - ensuring that David's legacy of kindness and support lives on.

Any funding which exceeds our target will be divided between outreach activities of the Chapel Choir and support for Ukrainian students/academics at Durham.

About the Choir

The University College Chapel Choir, is a fully auditioned ensemble of sixteen choral scholars and choristers. 

The Choir is in a golden era of music-making. Last summer the Choir went on a tour spanning the UK and Italy to share their vocal talents. The tour included Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, St George’s Chapel, Windsor and Ely Cathedral as well as St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Find out more here.

Under the leadership of Tom Parker, Castle has become home to some of the best choral music-making in Durham, and this has been continued with vital passion and expertise by Castle student, Barney Howard, this academic year.

This project is not only an incredible opportunity for all our choral and organ scholars, but also an opportunity for us to promote the musical life of Castle and of Durham in a way that has not been done before.

The Choir would be extremely grateful for any support in bringing this project to life.