Choral reunion to mark 30 years of girls' choir at Ripon Cathedral

It can be incredibly moving to hear the piercing beauty of choristers’ song, lilting and soaring to fill the hallowed halls of a Cathedral nave.

Now, some 30 years since the first girls’ choir was formed at Ripon Cathedral, a reunion concert honours singers once more.

Voices are to rise as one, spanning the decades as former and serving choristers of all ages come together to mark this milestone. Anyone who has ever sung in any of the cathedral's choirs is invited to take part.

Ronny Krippner, director of music, said it was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect: “This promises to be a memorable occasion.”

The cathedral choirs at Ripon, under the leadership of Dr Krippner, have gone from strength to strength in recent years. There was a tour of Bavaria, in 2024, and the release of two CDs. It is flourishing, with recent BBC broadcasts, and a residency at Westminster Abbey last year.

Now there are 30 girl choristers - eight of whom are new this September. Then 24 boys, as well as 14 choral scholars.

It was November 17, 1996 that the girls choir first came together, performing at a Sunday morning Eucharist.

Laura Kerray, whose father David Elsy is a former chorister, was among the founder members when she joined at the age of 12. Thirty years on, she looks back with great fondness at what members have achieved.

“It was so exciting, the idea of girls’ choirs was relatively new then,” she said. “There were people who weren’t sure about it - I’m hoping now that we’ve shown we can do well. It was just a great experience to have, and is something that will always stay with me.”

The reunion will bring together former choristers and choir members from across the decades, with archive photographs and memorabilia.

Also among alumni is Lucinda Taylor, who joined at the age of nine. Now, aged 31, she is a semi-professional harpist.

“It was such a good musical foundation,” she said. “And it was good fun. We were all of a similar age, just singing together.

“Being able to do that, and with that calibre of music and with world-class musicians, was just an amazing experience.”

Ms Taylor’s father, Roger Taylor also sang as a lay clerk at the cathedral, having joined in 1975. Some 51 years later, he is still there as a verger. Today, said Ms Taylor, it is wonderful for so many to see the strength of the girls' choirs.

“To make it to 30 years is quite something,” she added. “It will be so good to see people together again after all these years.”

The choir and its alumni, totalling more than 100 voices, will sing Choral Evensong at 5.30pm next Saturday, October 10, and the Patronal Eucharist at 10.30am the next morning.