Salisbury Cathedral Choir

The Choir of Salisbury Cathedral exists to sing services in Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire, England, and has probably been in existence since the consecration of the cathedral in 1258.

The choir comprises twenty boy choristers and twenty girl choristers aged from 8 to 13 years and six professional Lay Vicars singing countertenor, tenor and bass.[1] Salisbury Cathedral was the first English cathedral to recruit girl choristers (in 1991) and, when in the cathedral, the girls' choir is usually wholly independent of the boys'.[2] The weekly services are equally divided between the boy and girl choristers throughout the school year.

The choristers are educated at Salisbury Cathedral School, which is situated in the Cathedral Close. The Lay Vicars live locally.

In addition to services, the choir is involved in BBC broadcasts, concerts, CD recordings and the annual Southern Cathedrals Festival. The choir also broadcasts frequently on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4. A documentary programme about the choir was shown on BBC4 television in March 2012 under the title Angelic Voices; it included episodes in the life of the members of both choirs over a four-month period.[3]

The choir is directed by the Director of Music, currently David Halls, and accompanied by the Assistant Organist, plus an organ scholar, who is selected by audition on an annual basis.