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Sheffield Cathedral Dean criticises his own choir, saying the quality of singing is ‘not thrilling’

Sheffield cathedral church of st peter and st paul church - Alamy 
Sheffield cathedral church of st peter and st paul church - Alamy

A Cathedral Dean has criticised his own choir by admitting that the quality of singing is ‘not thrilling’, amid an ongoing row over its closure.

Last month, the historic Sheffield Cathedral announced that it would disband its 400-year-old choir because it fails to meet the needs of a “mixed urban community” and should be more diverse.

Following the controversial announcement, it emerged that Sheffield Cathedral is being investigated over bullying allegations after chorister parents expressed concerns regarding staff behaviour, and that choristers and campaigners are seeking independent legal advice regarding the Dean and Chapter’s recent decision to close the choir

The Very Reverend Peter Bradley - News Scan
The Very Reverend Peter Bradley - News Scan

Now the Dean of Sheffield, the Very Reverend Peter Bradley, has angered the community after he criticised the choir’s singing.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4 Sunday, he reiterated his commitment to disbanding the choir.

However, asked whether the choir was “any good” in its current form, the Dean responded: “Every Dean always thinks their own choir is the best but we believe we should be raising our ambition and be the best choir we can be in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, and I don't think we are there yet actually.”

He added: “Cathedrals believe in excellence, we want the Cathedral to be singing at a quality that is thrilling and that's not the case at the moment…”

The Dean also said that the Cathedral had already tried a “gradualist approach” to make the choir “really strong”, but this had not worked, and the only option was therefore to disband and reform it.

Responding to his comments, a spokesman for the Save Sheffield Cathedral Choir campaign group said: “We agree with the Dean and Chapter that Sheffield Cathedral Choir should be raising its ambition. It's good to emphasise that we share this as a common goal but, unfortunately, the Dean and Chapter give no clear evidence as to how exactly it intends to deliver this ambition.

“In fact, we are yet to be given precise examples of how the present choir has been found wanting.

“In our view, Sheffield has been an example of high quality cathedral music-making over the last 20 years. Choirs inevitably go through highs and lows, but this is rarely due to circumstances the singers can control.

“Thinking that removing existing choristers will lead to a rise in excellence is naive and signals a complete lack of understanding about the choral sector. Developing a choir needs strong singers who can lead and mentor new talent.

“Finding singers who are above the standard of current members simply will not be possible (and anyone who has even a vague understanding of the choral scene in Sheffield is aware of this). In our collective experience, the choir has performed at a high standard on a regular basis as evidenced by numerous Radio 3 broadcasts, CD recordings and TV appearances.”