Coronation Choristers

“One of the most memorable parts of the day was when the Archbishop of Canterbury lifted the crown, and that’s when it hit me: we were there, witnessing this incredibly historic moment.”

In case you happened to miss it, seven of our girl choristers made history last weekend, becoming the first female choristers 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.

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.”

Talking to the Truro Voice after the event, Imogen said, “We all thought it would be the most nerve-wracking experience of our lives, but we loved every minute of it. The only thing that could have made it even better would have been if everyone could have gone.”

Since returning to Cornwall, the girls have been featured on BBC Spotlight, ITV Westcountry, Radio Cornwall, Pirate FM, Heart Radio and the Truro Voice. You can listen to and read their interviews below. We also look forward to sharing a reflective video about the girls’ journey next week.

The Head of Truro School, Andy Johnson, said: “We are immensely proud of the commitment and talent of our chorister pupils, and the opportunities available to them via our partnership with Truro Cathedral.  We are thrilled that these girls were invited to serve the King and the Queen Consort at their Coronation. It has been an honour to be able to support them throughout this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Find out more about being a girl chorister using the link below:

Coronation photo credits: Aaron Chown/PA Wire, Victoria Jones/PA Wire, Jonathan Brady/PA Wire, Joe Giddens/PA Wire, Andrew Matthews/PA Wire.

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.