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Music has been part of the daily worship in Lichfield Cathedral from very early times. The present Choral Foundation can be traced back at least as far as 1315.
Today, the choir consists of eighteen boy choristers (aged 9 to 13), nine Lay Vicars Choral, and three choral scholars. The choir is trained and directed by the Organist and Master of the Choristers, Philip Scriven, aided by the Assistant Organist, Alex Mason.
The primary purpose of the Choir is to lead the music for the opus dei, the daily worship in the Cathedral. During school term time, the Choir usually sings seven services each week: Choral Evensong each day (except Wednesday, which is the Choir's one day off); and the Eucharist on Sunday mornings. The Choir also give occasional concerts and recitals, and has made frequent broadcasts, both on television and radio, and recordings.
The Choir's repertoire embraces the whole span of church music, from Gregorian Chant to the present day. Apart from the monthly cycle of psalms, it is rare for the Choir to sing the same piece twice in any one term, even though they may sing over eighty services in that time. |
