Editing Canterbury Cathedral (section)

== Music ==
[[Polyphony|Polyphonic music]] written for the monks of Christ Church Priory, now Canterbury Cathedral, survives from the 13th century. The cathedral may have had an [[Organ (music)|organ]] as early as the 12th century,<ref name="Bowers">Roger Bowers, 'The Liturgy of the Cathedral and its music, c. 1075–1642', In: ''A History of Canterbury Cathedral'', ed. P. Collinson, N. Ramsay, M. Sparks. (OUP 1995, revised edition 2002), pp. 408–450.</ref> though the names of organists are only recorded from the early 15th century.<ref>[[#Organs and organists|Canterbury Cathedral: organs and organists]]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-06-30|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=#Organs and organists|reason= The anchor (Organs and organists) [[Special:Diff/994780479|has been deleted]].}}.</ref>
One of the earliest named composers associated with Canterbury Cathedral was [[Leonel Power]], who was appointed master of the new Lady Chapel choir formed in 1438.

The Reformation brought a period of decline in the cathedral's music which was revived under Dean [[Thomas Nevile|Thomas Neville]] in the early 17th century. Neville introduced instrumentalists into the cathedral's music who played [[cornett]] and [[sackbut]], probably members of the city's band of waits. The cathedral acquired sets of [[Recorder (musical instrument)|recorders]], [[lute]]s and [[viol]]s for the use of the choir boys and lay-clerks.<ref name="Bowers" />

=== Organ ===

The organ at Canterbury is of four manuals and is in both south and the north quire aisles, as well as a nave division. It was built in 1886 by [[Henry Willis]] and subsequently rebuilt by the same firm in the mid-20th century. It was rebuilt by N.&nbsp;P. Mander in 1978 and reduced to three manuals at about that time. David Flood, Organist and Master of the Choristers for over 40 years, oversaw the redesign, specification and total expansion and rebuilding project of the Cathedral Organ in 2018–2020<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-08-14|title=First new pipes arrive for Cathedral organ|url=https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/whats-on/news/2018/08/14/first-new-pipes-arrive-for-cathedral-organ/|access-date=2022-04-19|website=Canterbury Cathedral|archive-date=19 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419131026/https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/whats-on/news/2018/08/14/first-new-pipes-arrive-for-cathedral-organ/|url-status=live}}</ref> The organ has now been fully restored and greatly enlarged, including reinstating the fourth manual, by Harrison and Harrison with work finishing in February 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=K01569|title=Kent, Canterbury, Cathedral of Christ, The Precincts, [K01569]|website=NPOR|access-date=16 December 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240630054031/https://npor.org.uk/survey/K01569|archive-date=30 June 2024}}</ref>

=== Organists ===
{{See also|List of musicians at English cathedrals#Canterbury Cathedral}}

Organists and assistant organists at Canterbury Cathedral have included composers [[William Shelbye]], [[Clement Charlton Palmer]], [[Gerald Hocken Knight]] and [[Philip Moore (organist)|Philip Moore]] and musical directors [[Allan Wicks]] and [[Stephen Darlington]]. Following 42 years as both Assistant Organist and Organist and Master of the Choristers, [[David Flood (organist)|David Flood]] retired on 29 December 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-29|title=David Flood, the Cathedral's Director of Music, says farewell after four decades|url=https://www.canterburysociety.org.uk/david-flood-the-cathedrals-director-of-music-says-farewell-after-four-decades/|access-date=2022-04-19|website=The Canterbury Society|archive-date=26 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526112043/https://www.canterburysociety.org.uk/david-flood-the-cathedrals-director-of-music-says-farewell-after-four-decades/|url-status=live}}</ref> Following 10 years as assistant organist and latterly director of the Girls' Choir and a period as acting director of music, David Newsholme was appointed Director of Music in July 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=House|first1=Canterbury Cathedral Cathedral|last2=Canterbury|first2=11 The Precincts|date=2021-07-02|title=New Director of Music announced|url=https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/whats-on/news/2021/07/02/new-director-of-music-announced/|access-date=2022-04-19|website=Canterbury Cathedral|archive-date=9 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709190751/https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/whats-on/news/2021/07/02/new-director-of-music-announced/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Assistant Organist is Jamie Rogers and he was appointed in December 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=House|first1=Canterbury Cathedral Cathedral|last2=Canterbury|first2=11 The Precincts|date=2021-12-22|title=New Assistant Director of Music appointed|url=https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/whats-on/news/2021/12/22/new-assistant-director-of-music-appointed/|access-date=2022-04-19|website=Canterbury Cathedral|archive-date=19 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419131024/https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/whats-on/news/2021/12/22/new-assistant-director-of-music-appointed/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Choirs ===
There has been a choral tradition at Canterbury Cathedral for 1400 years. The cathedral choir consists of up to 25 boy choristers and 12 lay clerks and choral scholars. The boys are aged eight to thirteen. They receive scholarships and attend [[St Edmund's School]], Canterbury.<ref name=choir>[http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/community/choir.aspx Canterbury Cathedral Choir] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121206233332/http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/community/choir.aspx |date=6 December 2012 }}, retrieved 1 March 2013.</ref> There are seven choral services a week with Choral Evensong at 5:30 pm Monday through Friday, with the boys alone on Thursday and men on Wednesday. On Saturday and Sunday, there is evensong at 3:15 pm or 5:30pm and Eucharist on Sunday at 11 am. There are numerous extra services, especially at Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.

The Girls' Choir of Canterbury Cathedral was founded in 2014 and their first performance at Evensong, in January, was attended by more than 600 people and widely covered by the international press.<ref>{{cite news|title=Schoolgirls end Canterbury Cathedral tradition of male-only choral singing|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/09/canterbury-cathedral-schoolgirls-end-tradition-male-only-choral-singing|last=Meikle|first=James|newspaper=The Guardian|date=9 January 2014|access-date=14 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708182042/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/09/canterbury-cathedral-schoolgirls-end-tradition-male-only-choral-singing|archive-date=8 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=All-girl choir makes history at Canterbury|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7-MGTGDEIg|publisher=Press Association|date=26 January 2014|access-date=9 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150606212655/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7-MGTGDEIg|archive-date=6 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> They gave their first concert in December of that year.<ref>{{cite news|title=First Canterbury Cathedral all-girl choir makes its Christmas concert debut|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11261520/First-Canterbury-Cathedral-all-girl-choir-makes-its-Christmas-concert-debut.html|last=Furness|first=Hannah|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=28 November 2014|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611043638/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11261520/First-Canterbury-Cathedral-all-girl-choir-makes-its-Christmas-concert-debut.html|archive-date=11 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> They now share their duties equally with the boys of the choir and sometimes work together. The girls are aged 12 to 18. They attend local schools in Canterbury and some further afield.<ref>[http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/worship/girls-choir/ Canterbury Cathedral Girls' Choir] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218090242/http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/worship/girls-choir/ |date=18 December 2014 }}, retrieved 9 December 2014</ref>

In February 2023 it was announced that the entire framework for the child choristers at Canterbury Cathedral would be changing and that they would no longer board or attend St Edmund's School, causing local and international comment.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2023-03-04|title='It left us in shock and horror – we don't want these changes'|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/it-left-us-in-shock-and-horror-we-dont-want-these-change-283169/|access-date=2023-08-18|website=Kent Online|archive-date=18 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818051357/https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/it-left-us-in-shock-and-horror-we-dont-want-these-change-283169/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Equality and Inclusion Plan set up by the new Dean was at the heart of this.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Equality and Inclusion Plan for Boys' and Girls' Choirs|url=https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/news/posts/equality-and-inclusion-plan-for-boys-and-girls-choirs/|access-date=2023-08-18|website=Canterbury Cathedral|archive-date=18 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818051355/https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/news/posts/equality-and-inclusion-plan-for-boys-and-girls-choirs/|url-status=live}}</ref>