Q&A: Amy Bebbington

AB: I think one of the biggest changes was the advent of girl cathedral choristers, which saw a real influx of interest from young girls wanting to sing in churches and cathedrals. Now there are more girls than boys, and we need to make sure that we don't lose the boys, so all young singers have equal access to singing. There are also some female lay clerks, organists and directors of music in cathedrals, so we're starting to see a change in the gender of people accompanying, conducting and directing, which is significant because, historically, this has been a male-oriented institution. We've also seen many more females stepping up to conduct, not only in school choirs where women have played a key role across the years, but now in chamber choirs, choral societies and professional choirs.