The press gave uncustomary publicity to choral developments in Lincoln – and somewhat surprisingly the better coverage was in The Daily Mail – a report by Andy Dolan which follows here…
With a proud history stretching back more than 900 years, change is not something that comes naturally to the Lincoln Cathedral Choir.
So it is not surprising that traditionalists are aghast at the news that a woman is to join the main choir for the first time.
The cathedral says the introduction of choral scholar Helen Vincent, 22, will bring a ‘greater flexibility of sound’.
But opponents warn the move spells the end of the traditional choir, and have described it as tragic.
The Leeds University music graduate’s appointment to the part-time but paid role as female alto choral scholar comes as a female organist has also been appointed for the first time.
The choir has accepted girl choristers to its front line since 1995, but, until now, has resisted following other cathedrals such as Peter- borough in opening up its main choir to the fairer sex.
Lynda Collins, spokesman for the Campaign for the Traditional Cathedral Choir, said the introduction of women was a ‘tragedy’.
‘An awful lot of people are going to be very upset that this decision means the end of a traditional choir,’ she said.
Miss Vincent and new assistant organist Claire Innes-Hopkins, 25, of St Albans, Hertfordshire, join three male scholars in this year’s intake. Of the three lower voices in the choir – alto, tenor and bass – it is unusual to find a woman who can sing tenor or bass, but the alto voice is common to both sexes, with men using the falsetto technique.
Miss Vincent’s appointment has been backed by professional choir singer Louise Wayman, 24, of Birmingham Cathedral, who said singing in the Birmingham mixed choir gave her ‘invaluable experience’.