The New Chaplain

We are delighted to annouce that the new Chaplain in the Reverend Dr. Jonathan Arnold.

Jonathan was raised in Herefordshire, attending Hereford Cathedral School before coming up to Oxford to read Theology at St. Peter’s College in 1989, where he also took a keen interest in music, joining the choir of Magdalen College Chapel for two years. From Oxford he trained as singer a The Royal Academy of Music, from where he became a Vicar-Choral (singing bass-baritone) in the choir of St. Pauls’ Cathedral for eight years. Jonathan also performed as a soloist with many leading British and European orchestras and has sung with many fine vocal ensembles, including The Tallis Scholars and The Hilliard Ensemble. He was a regular member of The Sixteen for fourteen years, travelling all over the world and appearing on many recordings and broadcasts. This year Jonathan appeared in a five-part television documentary on sacred music with the actor Simon Russell-Beale and The Sixteen.

It was during his time at St. Paul’s, however, that he met and married Emma, and completed his doctorate in English pre-Reformation Church history at King’s College, London. He trained for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon from 2003 and was curate at Chalgrove, south-east of Oxford until 2008. He continues his interest in Church history by researching and publishing regularly. His last book, published in December 2007, was a biography of John Colet, Dean of St. Paul’s (1505-19). His next book, to be published in 2010, will be on Christian humanists of pre-Reformation Europe.

Jonathan is delighted to have been appointed Chaplain of Worcester College. It is a place he knows and loves and is keen to get to know as many people as possible, to offer friendship, help, support and a confidential listening ear to anyone who has need. He hopes to keep the Chapel as a welcoming, special place at the heart of Worcester life, which is open to all and to take a full part in the family that is Worcester College.


Monday 4th August 2008