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.
Salisbury was the first English cathedral to recruit a girl choristers' choir, in 1991. The girls' choir is usually wholly independent of the boys' when in the cathedral. Singing duties are equally divided between the boy and girl choristers.
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). 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. 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.
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, and accompanied by the Assistant Organist, plus an organ scholar, who is selected by audition on an annual basis.
Tours 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, 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. The combined choirs visited the Channel Islands following their 2022 transfer to the Diocese of Salisbury, and also the Netherlands.
Recordings Recent recordings include: 2023 - Salisbury Christmas 2019 – Poetry in Music: Musical Settings of Words by George Herbert 2017 – Music for Sunday 2016 – Complete Psalms of David Volume 9 Series 2 2013 – Great Hymns from Salisbury 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
Edward Lowe (composer) (c.1602 – 1682) Sir Stephen Fox (1627–1716) Bernard Rose (musician) (1916–1996) Nicholas Daniel (born 1962), oboistDANIEL, Nicholas in Who's Who 2007 (London, A. & C. Black, 2007)
See also Anglican church music
References
External links 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