Girl Choristers Join St Paul’s Cathedral Choir for the First Time

For the first time in the choir’s 900-year history, two girls have joined the group as full choristers 

In a historic event, two girls from St Paul’s Cathedral School formally joined the St Paul’s Cathedral Choir for the first time in its 900-year history. 

To officially mark the occasion, the recent Sunday’s Choral Evensong service saw 11-year-old Lila and 10-year-old Lois perform their first service with the Cathedral Choir, having undertaken specialist training to prepare for it. 

The pair have now passed their probation, and taken up their positions as full members of the world-renowned Choir, which practices together daily, and performs at the Cathedral’s daily services. The group also sings in special services, plus concerts and events of both national and international importance.

According to the BBC, Lila and Lois have been in training within the Choir since September 2023; an announcement was made in May 2022 that girls would be able to join the Choir, and that the cathedral and St Paul’s Cathedral School would “undertake the practical arrangements needed to provide a truly equal offer for girl and boy choristers.”

Plans also included a fundraising campaign to ensure the cathedral's scholarship program could be delivered to both boys and girls.

“It is a great joy to welcome Lila and Lois into the Cathedral community,” said the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally in the press release. “It was profoundly moving to see the culmination of their hard-work, and God-given gifts on show, at the service on Sunday evening. 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.”

“It has been a long-held ambition at St Paul’s to welcome girls’ voices into the Cathedral Choir,” said the Dean of St Paul’s, the Very Revd Andrew Tremlett. “The Evensong service on Sunday was a wonderful occasion, officially welcoming Lila and Lois as full members of St Paul’s Cathedral Choir. We are all delighted that this day has come.”

“Lila and Lois have worked extremely hard in preparing for this day and we are delighted to welcome them to our musical family,” commented Andrew Carwood MBE, the Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral. “I look forward to their bright futures in the Choir, which I’m delighted to see continuing to grow and flourish.”

“Everyone at St Paul’s Cathedral School is enormously proud of Lois and Lila,” added Judith Fremont-Barnes, Head of St Paul’s Cathedral School. “They have worked extremely hard during their training, bringing a consistently positive attitude and rising to every challenge. In addition to their music, Lois and Lila make a rich contribution in every area of school life from sport to art to science. We can’t wait to see them growing through their Chorister journey and inspiring the girls and boys who follow them.”