The first cathedral girls' choir in London makes its debut at Evensong on Thursday 13 July at 5.30 pm. This will be the regular slot for the new Southwark Cathedral Girls' Choir, who began rehearsing under the direction of Stephen Disley, Assistant Organist at the Cathedral, early in the new year.

After voice trials the Cathedral has recruited 20 girls from twelve day schools throughout London. Stephen comments: "I was delighted at the number of girls who showed interest and at the responsiveness and enthusiasm of the new team. Since January they have worked tirelessly at learning the basic techniques of choral singing and I am really looking forward to making music with them regularly in the worship of the Cathedral."

The girls range in age from 9 to 14 and will stay in the choir until 16, when they may join the Cathedral's embryonic mixed teenage choir, the Merbecke Singers.

Southwark Cathedral - London's oldest cathedral church - has boasted a fine boys' choir for many years, offering pupils at day schools, both independent and state, the opportunity to learn music in the unique English cathedral tradition. Now the Cathedral is marking the year 2000 by the introduction of the same opportunity for girls. Southwark is the only cathedral in London offering musical training to day school students and the only London cathedral with two choirs, one for boys and one for girls. (Note: 18 of England's 42 cathedrals have separate girls' choirs). This has been made possible through the generosity of many individual donors.

The cathedral music is under the direction of Peter Wright, Cathedral Organist since 1989. He said: "The girls have been rehearsing since January and under Stephen Disley's direction have already made great progress. Not only will the project provide a unique musical education (spanning music from plainsong to the present day) for girls as well as boys, but it will also enable the Cathedral to have choral services more regularly."

The Very Reverend Colin Slee, the Dean of Southwark added: "It is a matter of justice as well as music, that we are now offering girls a similar opportunity to that which we have for so many years offered boys. Cathedral music is flourishing. It is prospering both in standards achieved and in number of people participating. In time our choirs will double the output of services from the church at a time when the entire area is blossoming into new life."

For more information: Stephen Disley, 020-7367 6703.

General Enquiries about the Cathedral: 020-7367 6700.

Cathedral website

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