Content originally published by Hampshire Chronicle.
A PAIR of choristers are making history at Winchester Cathedral as the first twins admitted to the choir.
Alfred and George Bounds, aged nine, joined the choir 18 months ago after a successful audition.
It has been found that the boys, who are from Broughton, are the first twins to join the choir in its 900-year history.
The pair, who are pupils at Pilgrims’ School, say that they are enjoying their time as members of the choir.
Alfred said: “I find it fun. Sometimes we get to go to places, like we got to sing on the Queen Victoria, and we got to sing with Sir John Rutter in Oxford.”
George said: “From my point of view, I also find it very fun. You get to know your friends much better, especially in choir time (when the Pilgrims pupils who aren’t in the choir leave for the holidays, with the choristers staying on), which is about to start.
“It’s fun from the point of view that you get to play in your free time. And when you’re singing in the choir and you make the noise and hear it, it’s very beautiful.”
George continued: “I think I might carry on singing when I get into my senior school, as I enjoy it so much.”
The twin’s parents, Philippa and Billy, say they are proud of the twins.
Billy said: “When they were auditioning, with twins, there’s always what if only one of them gets selected. That would have been a very difficult decision that we would have had to have made. Fortunately, we were spared that decision and they were both selected.”
Philippa said: “It was very moving the first time seeing them singing. It was very beautiful.”
Billy continued: “They are both very sporty. So, to have one afternoon where you’re watching them play rugby, covered in mud and then an hour later they are performing in a service with these angelic voices. It’s quite special to see it.
“It was only after they were offered a place when people said to us ‘We don’t think we’ve had twins before’, and we had others asking us the question. It was from that we thought ‘Let’s actually find out if there’s any truth to this.’ Pilgrims School couldn’t remember there ever being twin boy choristers, and I got in touch with David Rymill, the archivist. And we spent time with him going through the archives and researching”.
To read this article on Hampshire Chronicle’s website and see more photos, click here.