Lichfield Cathedral School

 

An enterprising programme is scheduled for the first year, with an inaugural concert and Choral Evensong in Lichfield Cathedral, a concert in Birmingham Cathedral, a performance in the Lichfield Festival and the weekly school service in Lichfield Cathedral.  It is expected that the musical programme will expand substantially as the choir matures to include many opportunities for singing concerts and services, and a tour abroad within the first two years.

The choir's patron, Emma Kirkby OBE, said "I am so pleased that the Cathedral School at Lichfield is to provide this wonderful chance for girls in the West Midlands to grow up within the cathedral music tradition.  It means that the next generation of young singers, whether amateur or professional, will have a grounding in the best of British vocal music."

It will provide an exciting opportunity for girls to be a part of a choir that will be aiming to achieve the highest possible standards.  All members of the choir will attend Lichfield Cathedral School as day pupils with a reduction in fees through Choral Scholarships.  In addition, all girls will receive free singing tuition from Natalie Clifton-Griffith who will be running the girls' choir alongside Alex Mason, the Assistant Organist at Lichfield Cathedral.

Lichfield Cathedral School already educates the Cathedral boy choristers and the long-term vision is for the members of the girls' choir to join forces with the former boy choristers at age 16 to form a potentially outstanding and unrivalled Youth Choir.

Peter Allwood, Headmaster of Lichfield Cathedral School, said "Lichfield Cathedral School has always had a good reputation for the quality and breadth of its music.  The boy choristers maintain a very high standard of singing within the Cathedral and I am delighted that the school is now able to provide a similar opportunity for girls to excel in this field."