Cathedral Choirs
There are four separate choirs at Rochester Cathedral. The Cathedral also employs adult professional singers known as Lay Clerks who accompany several of the choirs.
Boys' Choir - The boy choristers sing the majority of the Cathedral’s choral services during the school term. All the boys attend King’s School, Rochester, and receive a Cathedral choristership towards the cost of their school fees while they are in the choir.
Girls' Choir - The Girls’ Choir was established in 1995 and was one of the first girls’ choirs to be introduced in an English Cathedral. It is a voluntary choir and the girls come from local and county schools. The girl choristers sing one Evensong a week, one weekend a month, at half-term weekends, weekends during July, at Christmas and during Holy Week.
Senior Girls' Choir - The Senior Girls’ Choir was founded in 2004 to allow girls to keep singing at the Cathedral once they leave the Girls’ Choir at 14; it has a more relaxed schedule than the Cathedral Girls’ Choir to allow its members to concentrate more on school work and the other demands of teenage life. Typically, the Senior Girls sing two services a month, and are present at all major festivals and cathedral events; their years of experience in the girls’ choir mean that a high standard of musicianship and professionalism are evident in their singing. Although a new choir, the girls have just made their own CD in order to raise funds for a tour to the USA later this year. They are also increasingly active as concert performers, with recent appearances in London and participating in Holst’s ‘Planets’ Suite at the Cathedral.
Cathedral Special Choir - The choir was formed in August 1995 as an auditioned adult voluntary choir and celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. The choir normally sings all three choral services (Mattins, Eucharist, Evensong) on 9 or 10 Sundays during the year, during holidays periods, and one Saturday Evensong a month during the school term. It also sings evening services on occasions, such as All Saints’ Day, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Ascension Day and Remembrance Sunday. For more information visit the Cathedral Special Choir website.
More information about the Choirs can be found at: www.rochestercathedralchoirs.org
