Historic Formation of Girls’ Choir at St Peter’s Cathedral

St Peter’s Cathedral in west Belfast, which has undergone numerous transformations over more than 150 years, marked a significant milestone in 2024. This occurred with the establishment of a new choir at the end of June, notable for being the cathedral’s inaugural choir composed exclusively of girls. James McConnell, the Cathedral’s director of music, acknowledged that the church might be “slightly behind the times,” yet his goal was to provide girls with the same opportunities available to boys. The recently established choir, comprising members aged 11 to 18, has been rehearsing for only a few months and is now preparing for one of its most anticipated performances: Christmas. St Peter’s has maintained an adult choir since 1866, and a younger boys’ choir has been active for nearly 25 years. Rebecca Morris stated that upon joining the cathedral choir several years prior, the music program was flourishing, but she sensed a “wee something missing.” She identified this absent element as the girls. Since the choir’s formation at the end of June, she has served as the assistant director. Rebecca remarked on the unique quality of a girls’ choir, stating, “It’s totally different tonality with a much lighter sound.” Despite the distinct challenges involved, she noted that the girls had simplified the process. She further commented, “We’re working with an amazing bunch of girls which has made it so much more special, and they’ve just been super from the start.” The choir comprises girls attending various schools within the greater Belfast area and surrounding regions. Abbie, a 12-year-old, was encouraged to participate by her grandparents. She expressed her enjoyment of singing and highlighted how the choir had enabled her to form numerous new friendships. Abbie stated, “It’s definitely upped my confidence because I wasn’t very confident last year before I joined.” Lucy, aged 17, joined the choir following a suggestion from her music teacher and has found it to be a positive experience. She remarked, “I was quite shocked whenever I realised it had taken so long to just get a full girls’ choir.” Despite her limited prior experience with religious music, she has appreciated acquiring new knowledge, and particularly values the sense of community fostered by the choir. Lucy commented, “We get to come in, different ages, different schools and things, it’s just nice to have.” The upcoming Christmas performances at St Peter’s will provide the choir with a chance to demonstrate the progress they have achieved over a six-month period.