This week I am proud to announce that Lowther Hall will be partnering with St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne to provide the first girls’ cathedral choir in the southern hemisphere. The choir will be comprised of 18 girls from across Years 4 to 10, who will be selected by audition. The girls will alternate with the traditional choir of boys and men, which has been leading choral weekday and Sunday services at St Paul’s since 1888. It is wonderful that the Cathedral has recognised that girls should be given the same opportunities as men and boys: whether they aspire to be archbishops or choristers.

Lowther Hall was chosen as the Cathedral Girls’ Choir School after a rigorous 18 month selection process. I am sure you will agree that the venture is a significant milestone for us and a recognition of the strong musical traditions of our school. It is an incredible honour to have been selected and I am very excited about the opportunity that it will provide for the girls. 

There will be 2 rounds of auditions for the Cathedral Choir, beginning with the girls from Years 4 to 10 who are currently members of the Senior or Junior School Chamber Choirs. The second round of auditions will be open to a wider range of singers. Circulars will be distributed to relevant students shortly. 

As you would understand, this announcement is expected to create some interest in the press, and a joint media conference with the School and St Paul’s is being held at the Cathedral tomorrow. 

Amid all this excitement, there has also been plenty going on at school. I (with Ms Healy) enjoyed spending time in each of the Year 7 classes on Monday and hearing how the girls are settling in to Senior School. On Tuesday I attended the Year 6 Leadership Day where it was wonderful to see the girls throwing themselves into the workshops provided by senior members of staff and the 2015 School and Deputy School Captain. The Year 6 girls are certainly off to a great start with their leadership! 

Preparations have also been underway this week for 2 important ceremonies which will take place at the school tomorrow: The Academic Awards Ceremony, recognising the outstanding achievements of girls who undertook a Year 12 subject in 2015, and the Junior School Assembly of Dedication, which recognises the special role of our Year 6 students in the year ahead. I look forward to sharing these events with members of our community.