Girls' Choir celebrates Silver Jubilee

Southwark was the first London cathedral to establish a girls' choir, and at a benefactors’ reception on 11 July we heard stories from those who made this dream a reality. One of the first choristers, now singing regularly with the Cathedral’s Merbecke Choir, wrote:

“Joining the choir provided me with a thorough musical education as well as a lifelong love of choral music….I am sure that any child given the same opportunities that I was within the wonderful musical community at Southwark will have their lives greatly enriched by the experience”.

Two of our current choristers, Maddie and Chisom, confirmed that choir has changed their lives and they would never ever stop singing.  Later the choir, conducted by Acting Director of Music Simon Hogan, with James Gough on the organ, showed an enthusiastic audience just how good they can be, in a programme that included Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Rutter’s Gloria as well as the anthem commissioned for the launch of the choir “God’s Wonderful Works” by Philip Moore.

Southwark Cathedral continues its pioneering work this year with the arrival of Helen Smee, the first woman to direct the music at a London cathedral, who will take up her baton in September.