St Margaret’s Choristers

Westminster Abbey has been there for a thousand years but never had a girls’ choir–until last year, when the St Margaret’s Choristers came together. St Margaret’s is often called the parish church for the House of Commons, and is an old, little church between Parliament and Westminster Abbey. It’s a separate building, but it’s a chapel of the Abbey.
 
My uncle saw on Twitter that the Abbey was forming a girls’ choir, and I went along for an audition on a hot day in June 2023. Only four girls in each school year–years 7 to 12–got a place, and I got in as one of the year 9s!
 
The first rehearsal was in September 2023. I found that most of the girls went to private schools and had more experience of church music, so I was really nervous. Even though it was strange to begin with, once I got used to things like singing in Latin and chanting psalms, I started to enjoy the sound that we were making. It was hard trying to talk to the other girls at first, but it got easier and now I have lots of friends in the choir.
 
To begin with, we had three rehearsals a week–two of them after school–and only one service in St Margaret’s every month, often with professional adults singing harmony. Nowadays, we still have tons of rehearsals but a service in St Margaret’s every Sunday, plus we sing evensong in the Abbey once or twice a month. Singing in the Abbey for the first time was a pretty magical experience. The huge space that we’re in gives us a rich and echoey sound together as a choir. It is quite cool knowing that there are lots of people listening. Whether it’s family members or tourists or people nearby, the Abbey is always full. We have also sung in Parliament for various events, including a special service dedicated to the Suffragettes in the underground chapel there.
 
The choir is getting busier and busier, it is a big commitment and we are learning more music every rehearsal. My sight reading is improving, hopefully! We have free singing lessons which can be on your own or in a pair. It helps to have a one-on-one session for the singing teachers to help us with techniques for breathing or reaching high notes. We have concerts this year including the Vivaldi Gloria with a baroque orchestra and the Pergolesi Stabat Mater on Palm Sunday.
 
Singing in Westminster is now my everyday and I don’t often think of it as something really special. But I am proud to be in the Abbey’s first girls’ choir, improving as a singer, working with professional musicians, and I think I’m learning a lot. I am having lots of fun as well!

Elinor