For the first time in its 900-year history, girls will sing in the choir at St Paul’s Cathedral during the Christmas day service. The distinguished choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, founded in the 12th century and known around the world, received its first female choristers early this year. This historic inclusion will see girls singing beneath the magnificent dome of the cathedral in central London during Wednesday’s festive celebration.
Among the pioneers are Lila, 11, and Lois, 10, who joined the chorus in June. After successfully completing their probation period and enduring intensive training, they are finally prepared to participate in one of the most important services of the year.
The Bishop of London, the Right Rev Dame Sarah Mullally, expressed her happiness in June, saying, “It is a great joy to welcome Lila and Lois into the cathedral community.”
“It was tremendously humbling to see the fruition of their hard work and God-given talents on display at the Sunday evening service. “I hope that Lila and Lois can be an inspiration to other young girls as to what can be achieved, in what is a huge milestone in St Paul’s 900-year history.”
The decision to welcome girls to the choir was announced in 2022, following in the footsteps of other prominent cathedrals such as Salisbury, York Minster, Durham, and Exeter.
This development follows a previous milestone in 2017, when Carris Jones, then 35, became the first woman to join the choir full-time as an alto vocalist. Jones, a Cambridge history graduate and former freelance performer, had an outstanding record that included working on soundtracks for Harry Potter and The Hobbit, as well as performing with Sting on his 2006 “lute tour.”
Reflecting on her unprecedented appointment, she stated, “It wasn’t just for me; it was for many of my other female colleagues as well.” I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a member of a choir that has long sought to include women.These posts don’t show up very frequently. “I feel extremely fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time.”
