Salisbury Cathedral Choir
The Choir of Salisbury Cathedral exists to sing services in Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire, England, and has probably been in existence since the consecration of the cathedral in 1258. The choir comprises twenty boy choristers and twenty girl choristers aged from 8 to 13 years, and six professional lay vicars singing countertenor, tenor and bass.[1]
Salisbury has a claim to be the first English cathedral to recruit girl choristers, in 1991,[1] although Harrison Oxley had previously introduced a mixed treble line at St Edmundsbury.[citation needed] At Salisbury, the girls' choir is usually wholly independent of the boys' when in the cathedral.[2] Singing duties are equally divided between the boy and girl choristers.[1]
In addition to services, the choir is involved in concerts and CD recordings. It participates in the annual Southern Cathedrals Festival (despite initial resistance to the girls' choir).[3] The choir also broadcasts frequently on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4. A documentary television programme about the choir was shown on BBC Four in March 2012 under the title Angelic Voices; it included episodes in the life of the members of both choirs over a four-month period.[4]
The choristers are educated at Salisbury Cathedral School, which is in the Cathedral Close. The choir is directed by the Director of Music, currently David Halls,[5] and accompanied by the Assistant Organist, plus an organ scholar, who is selected by audition on an annual basis.
Tours
[edit]In previous years the boys and men have travelled to Latvia, Estonia and France; the girls have visited Italy and Austria. In 2009 the boys and men of Salisbury Cathedral Choir made their first visit to Salisbury's twinned city of Saintes, France,[6] a visit they repeated together with the girls' choir in 2014. Another tour to Salisbury's other twin town of Xanten, Germany, took place just after Easter 2016.[7]
Recordings
[edit]Recent recordings include:
- 2019 – Poetry in Music: Musical Settings of Words by George Herbert[8]
- 2017 – Music for Sunday[9]
- 2016 – Complete Psalms of David Volume 9 Series 2[10]
- 2013 – Great Hymns from Salisbury[11]
- 2009 – Christmas at Salisbury Cathedral
- 2009 – Bernard Naylor – The Nine Motets
- 2009 – Anthems from Salisbury
- 2008 – Christmas Carols from Wells and Salisbury
- 2008 – The Resurrection
- 2006 – The Virgin Mary's Journey
- 2004 – Praise and Thanksgiving: Anthems from Salisbury
- 2003 – King of Glory: Evensong from Salisbury
- 2001 – Angels' Song: The New Music of Salisbury Cathedral
- 2001 – From Darkness to Light
- 1997 – Britten: Spring Symphony
- 1997 – Sing Choirs of Angels
- 1996 – An English Chorister's Songbook
Notable former choristers
[edit]- Edward Lowe (composer) (c.1602 – 1682)
- Sir Stephen Fox (1627–1716)
- Bernard Rose (musician) (1916–1996)
- Nicholas Daniel (born 1962), oboist[12][13]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Our Choirs". Salisbury Cathedral. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "Salisbury Cathedral School – History and Inspection Reports". Salisburycathedralschool.com. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ In 1997 the Organist of Chichester Cathedral offered his resignation after Salisbury Cathedral insisted that its girls choir should sing together with the boy choristers at the 1998 Southern Cathedrals Festival that was to be held in Chichester. "Southern Cathedrals Festival: Crisis Postponed". Newsletter. London: Campaign for the Traditional Cathedral Choir. April 1998. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
- ^ Baron, Archie. "Angelic Voices: The Choristers of Salisbury Cathedral". BBC. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ "Our Music Team". Salisbury Cathedral. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ "Recent Press Releases". Salisbury Cathedral. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ Kemble, Elizabeth (24 February 2016). "Choristers hold fundraising concert ahead of German tour". Salisbury Journal. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ Kreindler, William. "Poetry in Music – PRIORY RECORDS PRCD1206 [WK] Classical Music Reviews: September 2019 – MusicWeb-International". www.musicweb-international.com. MusicWeb International.
- ^ "Music for Sunday – Priory: PRCD1173 – CD". Presto Classical. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ "PRCD1150 – The Complete Psalms of David Volume 9 Series 2 – The Choir of Salisbury Cathedral, Directed by David Halls with John Challenger (Organ)". Prior Records. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ "Great Hymns from Salisbury | Britain's Premier Church Music Label". www.prioryrecords.co.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ DANIEL, Nicholas in Who's Who 2007 (London, A. & C. Black, 2007)
- ^ "Nicholas Daniel". www.hdtracks.com. HDtracks. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
External links
[edit]- Choristers at Salisbury Cathedral School
- Video about the choristers
- A history of the choristers – Of Choristers, archived in 2011
- Friends of Salisbury Cathedral
- Salisbury Cathedral Services
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
