Nicola Lisle talks to Benjamin Nicholas about Merton’s new girls’ choir

It has been five years in the planning, but Merton College is now about to launch a girls’ choir, giving girls aged nine to 15 the opportunity to sing in the college’s 13th-century chapel and become part of its choral tradition.

An information evening is being held later this month, with auditions starting on April 30. The choir will begin performing in October.

“We wanted to do some form of musical outreach here at Merton, and we were thinking of what would be a useful contribution to what’s already on offer in Oxford,” explains Benjamin Nicholas, who has been Merton’s Reed Rubin Organist and Director of Music since 2012.

“We were thinking of something choral and at that time there was no opportunity for girls to sing in chapels regularly. We had the 750th anniversary coming up, so we thought we’d do that first and then think about it in more detail.”

Meanwhile, other girls’ choirs have been springing up in Oxford, including Frideswide Voices and the St Giles’ Church Girls’ Choir, but Benjamin clearly feels there is room for more.

“We’re not pioneers, we’re simply adding something to Merton and giving girls yet another opportunity in the city,” he says. “Obviously great work is done by the County Music Services and the youth choirs. Last year we enjoyed a collaboration with Oxford Youth Choir in our Passiontide Festival and that was, I think, a very happy collaboration.

“Then in the last year and a half Frideswide Voices has been established and doing very well, and I hope we’ll have very friendly relations with them.”

Benjamin is hoping to recruit about 20 girls from across the city.

The choir will rehearse twice a week and sing at Evensong every Wednesday during the school term, as well as singing in concerts in Oxford and beyond.

It’s quite a big commitment, I suggest to him.

“Obviously we’re looking for girls who are enthusiastic about the idea of singing, and I think if it’s something you love then singing twice a week isn’t too much of a hardship,“ he says.

“And it’s a sustainable commitment because it doesn’t preclude other activities.

“We’re offering the girls a chance to be involved in the musical make-up of the college, but also they will receive singing lessons here during the course of those rehearsal times, and that is some reward for their commitment.”

Anyone wanting to find out more can attend the open evening on April 26.

“The college choir will sing Evensong, and I hope that will offer an opportunity for people to see what Evensong is and get a feel for what we do here,” Benjamin says.

“Then there will be a chance to meet the chaplain and our chapel team to hear about the practicalities of singing in the girls’ choir and to ask any questions they may have.”

Auditions take place on April 30 and May 21, and at other pre-arranged times as required.

For Benjamin, the choir is an exciting development for Merton.

“I think it’s the most wonderful dimension to add to the college,” he says.

“I hope it will bring more people into contact with the college who perhaps have had no contact whatsoever with the university or music-making in the city centre. That will be a great thing.”

* Merton College Girls’ Choir opening evening takes place on April 26. Auditions are on April 30 and May 21. For details, go to merton.ox.ac.uk/chapel-choir/girls-choir