Girls’ Autumn Chorister Tour

The annual autumn expedition for our girl choristers once again brought together extraordinary destinations and incredibly powerful musical experiences.

Their journey began at St George’s Chapel Windsor, the final resting place of 11 monarchs, including the late Queen Elizabeth II. Here, the girls participated in a beautifully memorable and poignant evensong and enjoyed a guided tour of this spectacular chapel.

The next day, they ventured to Cambridge where there were opportunities to explore a number of colleges, including Trinity, King’s and Clare. Unfortunately, torrential rain prevented our usual punting expedition, but it did not dampen spirits. One of the many highlights here was the opportunity to work and perform with Christopher Gray, the former Truro Director of Music, and the internationally renowned back row of The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge.

In Oxford, they rehearsed and sang evensong at New College with the back row and under the direction of Robert Quinney. This service, including a recently commissioned composition by Deborah Pritchard, The New College Service, was live-streamed with the recording available here: https://www.youtube.com/live/zCSHcPDHK2A?si=JjLAWW_xWicfQng8

Their final destination on this grand tour was Salisbury, where the girls enjoyed some more leisure time and a fascinating tour in which they saw the Magna Carta and learnt about the amazing history of the building before singing an evensong service of upper-voices music by Sumsion, Ireland, and Hildegard. The incredibly atmospheric medieval Cathedral provided a captivating atmosphere and a large, appreciative congregation.

Mrs Vaughan, Head of Choristers, writes, ‘Our autumn tour is always a highlight of the choir year for both the girls and staff. Performing in such awe-inspiring venues alongside world-class choral musicians is truly a ‘money can’t buy’ experience and the girls were, as always, a pleasure both to listen to and to spend time with’.

This tour has been nothing short of inspirational. We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone at Truro Cathedral and School for their exceptional organisation and unwavering support throughout this expedition. We are also immensely thankful to our kind and gracious hosts who made us feel very welcome.

If you want to learn more about becoming a Chorister, we are hosting a special event called “Be A Girl Chorister For A Day” this Thursday, 9^th November.

This event is open to girls in Years 7 and 8, especially those considering joining the choir when entering Year 9.

For more information, please visit the link below.