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Choir of St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh

The Choir of St Mary’s Cathedral (Mother Church of the Diocese of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church) has been described by The Sunday Times as “one of the UK’s finest cathedral choirs.” It is unique in Scotland in maintaining a tradition of daily Anglican choral services. The choristers are ­educated at St Mary’s Music School, Scotland’s only specialist music school, which is also the choir school for the cathedral. St Mary’s Cathedral ­became the first in the UK to offer girls scholarships to sing as trebles in 1978 and in 2006 became ­possibly the first British daily choral foundation to offer alto Choral Scholarships and Lay Clerk positions to women as well as men. St Mary’s Music School is Scotland’s only specialist music school. The Choir works ­frequently with their instrumentalists, performing major works within services such as Fauré’s Requiem, Viennese masses, verse anthems and cantatas. In ­recent years the Cathedral Choir has also worked with, among others, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Ensemble. The choir broadcasts frequently on BBC radio and ­television and maintains a busy schedule of concerts. During the Edinburgh International Festival the choir is in residence, singing the daily services and ­broadcasting Choral Evensong on BBC Radio 3, as well as giving a number of concerts in the Festival Fringe. Web site links: St Mary’s Cathedral: www.cathedral.net St Mary’s Music School: www.st-marys-music-school.co.uk