Salisbury Cathedral Choir
Encyclopedia
The Choir of Salisbury Cathedral exists to sing services in Salisbury Cathedral
and has probably been in existence since consecration in 1258.
The choir comprises sixteen boy choristers and sixteen girl choristers aged between 8 - 13 years and six professional Lay Vicars
singing countertenor
, tenor
and bass. Salisbury Cathedral was the first English cathedral to recruit girl choristers and, when in the cathedral, the girls choir is usually wholly independent of the boys. The weekly services are equally divided between the boy and girl choristers throughout the school year.
The choristers are educated at Salisbury Cathedral School
which is situated in the Cathedral Close
. The Lay Vicars live locally.
In addition to services, the choir is involved in BBC broadcasts, concerts, CD recordings and the annual Southern Cathedrals Festival
. The choir also broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 3
and BBC Radio 4
.
The choir is directed by the Director of Music and accompanied by the Assistant Organist, plus an organ scholar
who is selected by audition on an annual basis.
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
and has probably been in existence since consecration in 1258.
The choir comprises sixteen boy choristers and sixteen girl choristers aged between 8 - 13 years and six professional Lay Vicars
Lay clerk
A lay clerk, also known as a lay vicar, song man or a vicar choral, is a professional adult singer in a Cathedral or collegiate choir in the United Kingdom. The Vicars Choral were substitutes for the Canons...
singing countertenor
Countertenor
A countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or far more rarely than normal, modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble...
, tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
and bass. Salisbury Cathedral was the first English cathedral to recruit girl choristers and, when in the cathedral, the girls choir is usually wholly independent of the boys. The weekly services are equally divided between the boy and girl choristers throughout the school year.
The choristers are educated at Salisbury Cathedral School
Salisbury Cathedral School
Salisbury Cathedral School is a school located in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. It was founded in 1091 by Saint Osmund at Old Sarum . It was moved 150 years later to the newly built Salisbury Cathedral. In 1947 it was relocated to the former Bishop's Palace in the grounds of the cathedral. The...
which is situated in the Cathedral Close
Cathedral Close
A cathedral close is an architectural term referring to the series of buildings that serve as appendages to a cathedral. These may include buildings housing diocesan offices, schools, free-standing chapels associated with the cathedral, and the houses of the bishop and other clergy associated with...
. The Lay Vicars live locally.
In addition to services, the choir is involved in BBC broadcasts, concerts, CD recordings and the annual Southern Cathedrals Festival
Southern Cathedrals Festival
The Southern Cathedrals Festival is the bringing together of the choirs of Chichester Cathedral, Winchester Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral in the penultimate weekend of July...
. The choir also broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
and BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
.
The choir is directed by the Director of Music and accompanied by the Assistant Organist, plus an organ scholar
Organ scholar
An organ scholar is a young musician employed as a part-time assistant organist at an institution where regular choral services are held. The idea of an organ scholarship is to provide the holder with playing, directing and administrative experience....
who is selected by audition on an annual basis.
Tours
In recent years the boys and men have travelled to Latvia, Estonia and France; the girls to 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.Recordings
Recent recordings include:- 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
- 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