CHORISTERS raised the roof when they were given the opportunity to sing Evensong in Ripon Cathedral.

The boys’ and girls’ choirs of St Martin’s Ampleforth Prep School were invited to sing in the cathedral on Monday evening.

The choirs sang Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis and a set of responses composed by Ampleforth Abbey’s organist and assistant director of music at the school, William Dore.

The children were fascinated by a particularly unusual feature of the Ripon Cathedral Organ - a unique, carved wooden hand. This was originally used to conduct the choir, via a lever at the organ console. It was added to the case in 1695, when a rebuild of the organ meant that the organist had to move to a new seat from where he could not conduct the choir himself.

“The Choristers made a glorious sound which filled the Cathedral” said Mr Conyngham, director of music.

“The congregation were most complimentary after the service”.

“It was a wonderful experience for the children to have the opportunity to perform in such a splendid venue.”

The St Martin’s Ampleforth Choir consists of 25 children with age ranges from 9 to 13. The Choir perform both at St Martin’s Ampleforth and at Ampleforth College and Abbey.