For the first time in history, 14 girl choristers were invited to join the choirs of Westminster Abbey and HM Chapel Royal Choir, St James’s Palace, to sing at the coronation ceremony of a British Monarch.
The girl choristers from Truro Cathedral Choir, who all attend Truro School in Cornwall, and from the Methodist College, Belfast, sang alongside the boy choristers of Westminster Abbey for this historic ceremony.
Ahead of their performance at King Charles III’s coronation, Rachel Vaughan, Head of Choristers at Truro School, said, “The girls have been rehearsing at the Abbey for almost two weeks and are incredibly excited to have been given the opportunity to be the first girl choristers to ever sing at a Coronation. It is an honour to be here alongside the Abbey Choir, Chapel Royal, the girls from Methodist College, Belfast and an octet from the Monteverdi Choir. I will watch them sing with immeasurable pride later this morning.”
Truro Cathedral is home to boy choristers aged 8 to 13 and girl choristers aged 13 to 18, as well as twelve adult professional singers. The chorister programme, run jointly by Truro Cathedral and Truro School, provides a pathway in Cornwall for musically gifted boys and girls to achieve world-class excellence, whilst being personally and pastorally supported to develop friendships within a close-knit team that sings together most days of the week. The choristers are all educated at Truro School where they receive scholarships, with additional means-tested assistance as necessary. Choristers from further afield than Cornwall are also able to board at the school.
The Head of Truro School, Andy Johnson, said: “We are immensely proud of the commitment and talent of our chorister pupils and are thrilled that these girls have been invited to serve the King and the Queen Consort at their Coronation. It is an honour to be able to support them throughout this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
For those wishing to know more about the Truro School and Truro Cathedral chorister partnership, more information is available from Truro School’s website https://www.truroschool.com/admissions/girl-chorister-scholarships/
For those keen to become a chorister in Truro, auditions will take place in early March for boys, who usually apply in Year 3 for entry as they join Year 4 in September. Girl chorister auditions have already taken place for September 2023 entry, but girls currently in Year 7 can express interest ahead of applying next year, for entry in Year 9. Information on how to register an interest or apply is available via the link detailed above.
Categories: Truro School
