Lincoln Cathedral Choir Association |
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The Choir
The member of the Cathedral Chapter who oversees the choir is the Precentor, Revd Canon Gavin Kirk. He works closely with the Director of Music, Aric Prentice, and the Assistant Director of Music, Charles Harrison, as well as the cathedral organists. The Director of Music supervises the activities of the music department, and is responsible for the choice of music that is sung and played at cathedral services and concerts. He also oversees the recruitment of new choristers, and the training and development of the choir. In addition to the boy and girl choristers, there are ten lay vicars (singing men), who supply the alto, tenor and bass parts. The choir sings evensong every day (except Wednesday) during term time, the Eucharist on Sundays and major festivals and a number of special services. The choir rehearses twice a day, before and after school, and has a repertoire which extends from early plainsong, through William Byrd (Lincoln's most famous organist) to contemporary composers such as Tavener and Pärt. There are numerous recordings available on CD, and the BBC broadcasts Evensong from Lincoln Cathedral every year. Tours are arranged both within the United Kingdom and abroad. The Boys and Girls share the normal Cathedral services, generally alternating days. On special occasions and major festivals they usually sing together. Normally the men (Lay Vicars) sing with the Boys and the Girls. The Choir specialises in the sacred choral repertoire, including Renaissance polyphony, Victorian choral works by composers such as Stanford, Ireland and Wood, and in twentieth century English composers including Tavener and Britten.
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