History of the Choirs

Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys | Cathedral Choir of Men and Girls

The Washington National Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, founded in 1909, is currently one of very few cathedral choirs of men and boys in the United States with an affiliated school, in the English tradition. The 18-22 boys singing treble are ages 8-14 and attend Saint Albans School, the Cathedral school for boys, on singing scholarships. The choristers sing 9-15 hours each week in rehearsals and services in addition to their regular academic schedule. The men of the choir are professional musicians from the greater Washington area and sing countertenor, tenor, and bass to complete the choir.

Along with the Choir of Men and Girls, the Men and Boys sing for the principal Cathedral services, radio and television broadcasts, and concerts. Each year the choir participates in special services of national and ecumenical importance, such as the memorial service for Princess Diana, the Celebration of Full Communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the National Prayer Service on September 14, 2001. The Men and Boys have made a dozen recordings for various labels, including Surrexit, Alleluia, a CD of music for Easter, Silent Night, a collection of Christmas carols and anthems, and A Choral Feast, a program of Renaissance, Anglican, and modern choral favorites.

Concert tours have taken the Choir to New York, Sarasota, Tampa, Winter Park, Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland, San Francisco, Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Atlanta, New Haven, and Boston.

The Washington Cathedral Choir sings a varied repertoire, from Gregorian chant, early music by English and Continental masters, 18th and 19th century sacred compositions, to works by contemporary American and British composers. It has made concert appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, New York, under conductors such as Rostropovich, Dorati, Bernstein, Mehta, and Fruhbeck de Burgos.

The Washington National Cathedral Choir of Men and Girls was instituted in the fall of 1997, after several years of careful preparation by the cathedral and its sister institution, the National Cathedral School for Girls. The 22-24 choristers attend the school on scholarship and are drawn from the seventh through twelfth grades. In the brief time of their existence, the Girl Choristers have already made their mark on the worship lives of both the cathedral and the school and, as of the 2000-2001 school term, are singing as many weekday and Sunday services as the Boy Choristers.

Along with the Choir of Men and Boys, the Men and Girls sing for Cathedral services, radio and television broadcasts, and concerts. Each year, the choir participates in special services of national and ecumenical importance, such as the Celebration of Full Communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, or the National Prayer Service on September 14, 2001.

Under the direction of founding choirmaster Bruce Neswick, the Girl Choristers appeared on CBS This Morning; recorded a CD with Church Publishing Incorporated of material from the Episcopal Church’s new supplemental hymnal Wonder, Love and Praise; recorded a CD on the Pro Organo label featuring music from the liturgical cycle of Washington Cathedral and music composed for it; and toured England during the summer of 1999. Under the direction of James Litton, the Choir of Men and Girls performed for the prestigious 2002 National Convention of the American Guild of Organists in Philadelphia.