St Paul’s Cathedral has today announced it is to welcome girl choristers to its internationally renowned Choir for the first time in 900 years.
The plan is that the first girls will join the Choir in 2025 after both the Cathedral and St Paul’s Cathedral School have had the time to undertake the practical arrangements needed to provide an equal offer for girl and boy choristers.
And, as part of the plans, a full fundraising campaign will be launched so that the School’s current boarding facilities can be enlarged and the Cathedral’s scholarship programme can be delivered equally to boys and girls.
The girls’ line will be of equivalent number and profile to the boys.
The Dean of St Paul’s, the Very Revd Dr David Ison, said:
“It has been a long-held ambition to introduce girls’ voices into the Cathedral Choir at St Paul’s. Doing this will create an exceptional new music opportunity for young people and will further enhance the contribution of our highly valued and much-loved Choir to the worship life of the Cathedral and the heritage of the nation.”
The Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, said:
“I am delighted by the Chapter decision to welcome girls into the Cathedral Choir. The choir plays a key role in the worship not just of the Cathedral, but of the whole diocese. It will be wonderful to hear girls’ voices contributing to this.”
Both girls and boys will be led by St Paul’s Cathedral’s Director of Music, Andrew Carwood, and will play an equal part in the singing of services as well as at events of national importance.
Andrew Carwood, Director of Music, said:
“I am delighted by the Chapter decision to welcome girls into the Cathedral Choir. The choir plays a key role in the worship not just of the Cathedral, but of the whole diocese. It will be wonderful to hear girls’ voices contributing to this.”
Both girls and boys will be led by St Paul’s Cathedral’s Director of Music, Andrew Carwood, and will play an equal part in the singing of services as well as at events of national importance.
Andrew Carwood, Director of Music, said:
“Our Choir is a true family, built on the values of encouragement, kindness and support. Welcoming women alto deputies 10 years ago, and appointing our first permanent female Vicar Choral five years ago, has thoroughly enriched the vibrancy of our choral and social life. Knowing that our incredible boys will be joined by young girl choristers in the near future is heart-warming, and an important milestone in the Choir’s history.
“I look forward to working with the St Paul’s Cathedral School, under the leadership of Simon Larter-Evans, to move forward with pace and purpose to ensure that Chapter’s vision for the Cathedral Choir will become a reality as soon as is practically possible.”
To donate to this project please visit https://www.stpauls.co.uk/ways-to-donate and click ‘donate to our music’.
Recently, after 674 years the first female choristers joined the Choir of St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
