Cathedral honour for three RGS students

THREE Ripon Grammar School students have been selected as head choristers at Ripon Cathedral.

The honour falls on Year 8 pupils Xander Galloway-Gee, Ava Crabtree and Sophie Holton after the trio were elected by their fellow choristers, along with another student from Outwood Academy.

As well as taking a lead in the singing, the role of head chorister is about leadership in general.

The RGS trio made their vows, promising to lead the choir, help choristers respect the rules of the choir and try their best at all times, during a special service where they were inducted and presented with their head chorister medals by Dean John, the Dean of Ripon.

Ava, 13, from Dishforth, who has been in the choir for seven years and is the cantoris girls’ head chorister, said she was delighted to be elected by her peers: “I was ecstatic to find out I had been selected. It was always a title and role I have aspired to hold."

One of her choral highlights was opening the Nine Lessons and Carols at Ripon Cathedral in December: “I have for a real passion of choral music, and it is such an honour to say I am a head chorister at Ripon Cathedral. It fills me with pride and reminds me of the hard work, dedication and commitment involved.”

She was inspired to join the cathedral choir aged six after attending an open day: “I remember hearing the choir sing and I knowing I had to be part of it. I have never regretted joining, even with early morning rehearsals, rehearsals after school and on a Sunday.”

A member of the school’s junior strings orchestra and musicality choir, she also plays piano and viola, and hopes to study maths and music after RGS.

Sophie, 12, who lives between Harrogate and York, has been singing in the choir for three years. She said: “I was absolutely delighted to be selected as decani girls’ head chorister as I love helping others and being the best role model."

She says it was her love and passion for singing that inspired her to join: “Ever since I was little, I have enjoyed singing”

Currently taking singing lessons and learning to play piano, she hopes to continue her singing career after RGS: “Choir is really improving my singing and I hope to progress to be able to sing in front of live audiences and write my own songs.”

Xander, 13, from Ripon, first became a chorister when he was just six years old, one of the first Year 1 children to be accepted into the ranks of the prestigious choir, and also took on the role of head boy chorister last year.

One of his many highlights has been touring with the choir in Bavaria last summer: "I sang the tour's chorister solo at a concert in Waldsassen, where we received a standing ovation. I also sang the solo in the Ripon Cathedral Choir Christmas Carol Concert with St Cecilia Orchestra, which was a really different experience as I was accompanied by a harp."

The teenager, who is taking his grade 8 music exam in singing and has achieved grade 5 in piano, was first inspired to join the choir by several RGS students who were choristers: “I feel very proud of being decani boys’ head chorister, I really enjoy helping the younger ones and love singing wonderful pieces on a daily basis,” he said.

Ripon Cathedral currently has 29 girl and 29 boy choristers, with 12 choral scholars, ranging from Year 3 to Year 13, who all receive first-class musical training, including singing and music theory lessons – as well as being paid for their efforts.

The girls and boys rehearse separately around three times a week both before and after school and on alternate Sundays, singing at three or four services a week, in addition to concerts and weddings, with joint services on various occasions and throughout the Easter and Christmas periods.

Previous choristers have gone on to sing in the National Youth Choir and have obtained choral and music scholarships to universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Durham.

Entry into the cathedral services is free and anyone is welcome to come along to services and hear world class musical performances every week.