JUST nine months after the launch of its increasingly popular Children’s Church, Winchester Cathedral has started a new academic year with another initiative for engaging young people by announcing that it is to launch a Junior Choir at the end of September.

Aimed at boys and girls between seven and 14 years who live in the Diocese of Winchester and led by Keith Clark, formerly Director of the Hampshire County Youth Choir, the rehearsals will be on Tuesdays during school term times from 4.45 – 7pm. The new choir’s first target will be a performance of Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in the Cathedral in February 2017. At present no audition is required but there is an application form to fill in which, with other information, can be found at www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk.

Speaking of the choir for the first time, Canon Sue Wallace, Precentor of the Cathedral said that “The team will aim to provide enjoyable and challenging choral activities for members to develop singing and choral skills.”

Sitting alongside the Cathedral’s already well established four other choirs the Junior Choir will focus on performing music as a group in their own right and, once fully established, occasionally contribute to the Cathedral’s programme of services.

Canon Sue continues, “This exciting new choral opportunity is being offered to boys and girls who wish to sing in an ensemble that complements the other wonderful choral traditions of Winchester Cathedral and we very much look forward to welcoming yet more youngsters to have fun making music.”