Nine year old chorister sings at Queen's remembrance service

On Sunday September 11, Kieran Zhu joined Salisbury Cathedral as a chorister, becoming part of a 900-year-old choral tradition that predates the cathedral itself.

Along with other churches and cathedrals across the country, Salisbury Cathedral remembered the Queen at a Service of Holy Communion.

Over 400 people attended the 10.30am service, featuringthe boys' choir and adult singers.

Performing on the occasion were three new choristers, who were formally admitted to the choir at Evensong later that day.

Among them, was Keiran who was ‘bumped’ in time-honoured fashion alongside fellow choristers Frederick and Fred.

The tradition of ‘bumping’ is an age-old ‘rite’ that involves banging the new chorister’s head gently on a special stone in the Vestry aisle.

Keiran’s mum, Maggie Zhu said: “It was very exciting, it was quite emotional as well to see him become so confident and to be accepted in the choir, so we are very proud.

“Kieran is very good with instruments, for his age, he is grade six in piano.

“His brother is a chorister as well in Winchester and when he was little he wanted to be like his brother to be singing in a church.”

A spokesperson from Salisbury Cathedral said: “Nine-year-old Kieran is already an accomplished pianist as well as a singer. He has gained Piano Grade 6 and plays violin.

“He now becomes part of a choral music tradition that stretches back 900 years to the time when the original cathedral stood at Old Sarum. An awe-inspiring responsibility that he is taking in his stride.”

Salisbury Cathedral is now starting its annual chorister recruitment process with a ‘Be A Chorister for a Day’, on Saturday October 8, any child in school years 2, 3 and 4 who likes singing can go to the cathedral to explore life as a chorister.

Any parent/child interested in attending should email Catherine Mitchell on musicofficer@salcath.co.uk