Canterbury Cathedral Girls’ Choir Ends Centuries of Male Tradition

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From the BBC

The cathedral had been dominated by the singing of men and boys for more than 1,000 years, but that changed when the new choir sang in public for the first time at Evensong at the end of January.

More than 40 girls from local secondary schools auditioned to be choristers after the plans were announced in September 2013.  By November the final 16 choristers, aged between 12 and 16, had been shortlisted and rehearsals began.

But why did it take so long for an all-female choir to be set up at Canterbury, mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion?  Some cathedrals in Britain have had girls’ choirs for years.

A spokesman for the cathedral said its legacy of having only men and boys in the choir for more than 1,000 years was to blame.  “With that weight of history, it can sometimes take a little while for change to occur,” he said.  “And it is only about 20 years since the first women were ordained as priests.

Check out the full BBC article by clicking here.