St Albans Abbey Girls Choir

St Albans Abbey Girls Choir

Formed in 1996, the St Albans Abbey Girls Choir sings Evensong twice a week and consists of 26 girls aged 8-14 drawn from many local schools. Primarily an upper-voice choir, for certain weekend services each term and for other special events the girls sing with the Lay Clerks of the Cathedral Choir.

The choir is regarded as one of the finest ensembles of its type in the UK, and in addition to its role at the centre of the Cathedral’s daily round of worship, the Choir plays a major part in the prestigious St Albans International Organ Festival, which takes place biennially. The choir has broadcast Choral Evensong BBC Radio 3, and its CD recordings include an album of Baroque motets featuring the soprano Emma Kirkby.

In recent years, the choir has made concert tours to the USA (Washington DC, New York City and Miami), Holland and Germany. Concerts closer to home have included performances of Handel’s Messiah, J S Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, and Britten’s St Nicolas and the choir has sung services at St Paul’s Cathedral, London and St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Abbey Girls Choir Schedule

Girls are usually admitted to the choir as Probationers from the age of eight (school Year 4). Probationers over the age of 9 are not normally appointed, although in cases of exceptional musical ability and previous choral experience, this rule is flexible. Girls usually leave the choir in the summer term of their fourteenth birthday (school Year 9).

As a Probationer, each girl receives detailed and individual vocal training, lessons in sight singing, and many opportunities to observe the Choristers at work, both in practices and services. The probationary period usually lasts for a year, but it can be shorter or longer, depending on the individual's progress and age. There is a professional singing teacher employed by the cathedral for the choristers and probationers.