Mother and Daughter Join Cathedral Choirs as Lay Vicars

A mother and daughter have been appointed as alto lay vicars in two of our cathedrals – making history in doing so.

Mother and daughter join cathedral choirs as lay vicars.

Eilidh Owen joined Salisbury Cathedral’s choir in September, having begun her singing career in Lichfield as a chorister and later as alto choral scholar. Eilidh is the first full time female lay vicar to join the Salisbury choir.

Eilidh’s mother Ailsa Cochrane, has also joined Lichfield Cathedral as an alto lay vicar, the first full time female lay vicar at the Cathedral. Ailsa has been a vocal tutor to the boy choristers since 2007, and continues to teach the choristers and choral scholars at Lichfield Cathedral School.

Lay Vicars are professional adult singers who sing the alto, tenor and bass line in cathedral choirs. Throughout history this has been exclusively a male profession, but this began to change in the late twentieth century as cathedrals across the UK started introducing girl choristers either in their own choir or mixed with the boy’s choirs, as well as women joining as adult professionals.

David Halls, Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral, said,

“We are delighted to welcome Eilidh as Salisbury Cathedral’s first full-time female Lay Vicar. Her appointment marks an important and joyful step in our choir, and we are grateful for the richness her voice and musicianship bring to our daily worship.”

In term-time, Evensong at Salisbury Cathedral is sung by the choir every day except for Wednesday (when a visiting choir will sing) and will sing Eucharist and Mattins each Sunday morning. Services at Lichfield Cathedral are sung on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday during term-time.