Giggleswick Choristers’ Cathedral Dates

Choristers from Giggleswick School are making a name for themselves in sacred singing after performing professionally at Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral this summer.

Schola Cantorum, the school’s chapel choir, sang Eucharist and Evensong in Westminster Abbey, then performed the following day at St Paul’s, fulfilling an ambition held by Giggleswick’s head of music Margie Simper, who is a regular professional singer as well as a teacher.

Margie said: “We have sung in St Paul’s before, but to sing in both of London’s major cathedrals is a huge honour. It is quite rare for a school choir from the north to sing in these iconic venues. It was an amazing, unforgettable experience for our young choristers.”

Margie has been applying for Schola Cantorum to tour to Westminster Abbey for the past two years.

She explained: “It is a rare privilege to sing at the services. On our cathedral tour, Schola Cantorum takes the place of the professional cathedral choir on its day off, so it is performing at the highest standard.”

Like many independent schools, Giggleswick has its chapel choir, but few embark on nationwide tours to the country’s most important religious venues.

Said Margie: “We are lucky at Giggleswick to have our own acoustically exceptional school chapel and we are developing quite a specialism in bringing on young singers when they have finished at a cathedral school, which is when they enter year nine.”

Schola Cantorum has also sung at Durham, Liverpool Anglican, Manchester, Ripon, and Gloucester cathedrals.

Headmaster Mark Turnbull said: “To sing at Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral is a great honour and indicative of the standards of our music department. We are extremely proud of them all.”