Durham Cathedral Choir

English Cathedral Choir

Originally it was the ‘monks in quire’ who sang the monastic services; and it is known that for at least 600 years singing boys or choristers have been educated in the building’s precincts. At the dissolution of the monasteries, during the reign of Henry VIII, Durham became one of the newly founded Cathedrals of the Church of England. The place of ‘monks in quire’ was taken by Lay Clerks, meaning that non-ordained men began to sing the daily services. In the 1960s the Lay Clerks were joined by Choral Scholars, student members of the choir from Durham University. In 2009 the tradition was further enriched with the admission of girl Choristers into the Cathedral Choir. The Choir now has two sets of trebles, boys and girls, taking turns to sing at daily services alongside the men of the Choir. For the major services of Advent and Christmas and other special occasions, all the Choristers sing together.