Magdalen College has announced that girls will be admitted as choristers for the first time in the Choir’s history, marking a momentous change for one of the University of Oxford’s longest-standing choral traditions.
The Choir, established under the College statutes of 1480, has until now included only boy choristers, drawn from Magdalen College School, who sing the treble line alongside adult clerks. Informator Choristarum Mark Williams told Cherwell that the introduction of girls as choristers represents “a very significant change… quite a turning point in our long history”. Some adult female clerks have been admitted in recent years.
The decision follows Magdalen College School’s planned transition to co-education from 2027. From that point, choristerships will be open to both boys and girls aged 8 to 13. The first girls are expected to join the Choir in September next year, with a fully mixed treble line anticipated by 2031.
This change will also be reflected in the College’s May Morning tradition, when the Choir sings from the top of Magdalen Tower on the 1st May to welcome the coming of spring. Williams told Cherwell: “The first girls will sing as trebles from the top of the tower on May Morning 2028, and the first fully-mixed cohort of trebles will sing the May Morning ceremony in 2032.”
Williams described the choristership as “a demanding experience, but also a hugely formative one”, involving daily rehearsals and services alongside academic study. He told Cherwell that the College has “a duty to create an environment in which boys and girls can grow and flourish alongside each other”.
The College has also indicated that it consulted with other institutions that have introduced mixed treble lines. Williams said these conversations suggested that such changes have “brought benefits to the boys, and to the whole group”, as well as enabling girls to access opportunities previously limited to them.
The move aligns with broader developments in the UK choral sector. Over the past three decades, many cathedral and college choirs have introduced provision for girl choristers, and there are now more girls than boys singing as choristers nationally. Within Oxford, ensembles such as the girl choristers of Merton College and Frideswide Voices at Christ Church have become established parts of the city’s choral landscape.
Magdalen College has also pointed to earlier steps towards greater inclusion within its musical life. Its first female organ scholar, Anna Lapwood, came to the College in 2013 and has since gone on to a highly successful career.
Magdalen has also announced measures aimed at widening access. Choristers are educated at Magdalen College School, with the College currently covering two-thirds of fees. Under new arrangements, additional bursaries will be available, with the possibility of full financial support. Williams told Cherwell this means choristerships could be open “to any child, regardless of sex or the financial means of their family”.
The College stated that the changes are intended to expand access while maintaining the Choir’s existing commitments to daily chapel services and musical standards. To support the transition, the College will expand the number of chorister places to 18.
