Choir of St John’s welcomes female singers
Hattie Fisk
Monday, October 18, 2021
The move will make it the first Oxford or Cambridge College choir to feature female and male voices from both adults and children.
James Beddoe
The world-renowned Choir of St John’s is to admit women and girls as singers for the first time.
Founded in the 1670s, the choir is currently made up of around 20 choristers who join from the age of eight, and 16 adult choral scholars who are largely students at St John’s College, Cambridge.
The choir plans a gradual adjustment to include women, meaning it will be roughly five years before all five year-groups of the choir contain both boys and girls; the total number of choristers will increase from 20 to 25.
The choir performs regularly at College Chapel and through daily Evensong services, as well as Sung Eucharist on Sundays during university term.
Andrew Nethsingha, a former organ scholar and director of music at St John’s, has spearheaded the move to admit female voices. He said: ‘Providing an opportunity for girls and women to sing as members of the Choir of St John’s is a very exciting development for the choral tradition of the College.
‘Choral singing is a specialised art form, and our choir has played a formative role in the careers of many globally recognised musicians. Extending membership to talented female singers creates an exceptional new musical opportunity for women and girls, as our much loved choir continues to make a highly valued contribution to the musical life of St John’s and the wider world.’
‘I hope this small step will bring the day closer when there is gender equality amongst composers, organists and conductors, as well as among politicians, business leaders and in all other walks of life.’
Heather Hancock, master of St John’s College, said: ‘The College is delighted to support our exceptional director of music, Andrew Nethsingha, as he recruits women and girls, as well as men and boys, to become members of the choir. This pioneering step will continue the distinctive tradition of choral excellence at St John’s and honours the College’s overarching commitment to equality.’
Read a feature with Andrew Nethsingha and choristers from the Choir of St John’s in the Scholarships Guide 2022 from Music Teacher magazine.
