At 10am on Sunday, October 11, Truro Cathedral Choir will appear with its new girl choristers for the very first time.

The choir is celebrated for its primary role in enhancing the worship offered at the cathedral, but it also has a national and international reputation as one of the premier ensembles of its kind, regularly receiving top billing by critics in the classical music press.

The Very Reverend Roger Bush, Dean of Truro, said: "Since our consecration in 1887, boy choristers have provided the treble line in our Cathedral Choir, but we now have the opportunity to fulfil our long-held ambition to introduce girl choristers alongside them.

"I am grateful to our cathedral staff and close supporters who have been working hard behind the scenes for more than a year now to prepare for the girl choristers' arrival. I would also like to pay tribute to Andrew Gordon-Brown and his staff at Truro School, where the girl choristers will be educated, for the meticulous work they have done on so many fronts to help us recruit such wonderfully talented girls, and to ensure the best possible systems are in place to support and nurture them as they work intensively at the highest level."

A year ago, Truro Cathedral made the announcement that it was to introduce girl choristers to its Cathedral Choir, in partnership with Truro School. Shortly after that, recruitment began in earnest, with a "be a chorister for a day" event in November before 18 girls were appointed at the subsequent auditions.

Truro Cathedral's director of music, Christopher Gray, said: "We were absolutely overwhelmed by the standard of applicants. The appointed choristers have been rehearsing intensively at school and at the cathedral with my colleague, Luke Bond, and I, and it is already clear that we have all the ingredients to create an extraordinary choral sound.

"It is quite a different experience for us working with the girls aged 13 to 18 when we are so used to the boys who are much younger, aged eight to 13 before their voices change."

All of the girls have now been measured for their new robes, known as cassocks and surplices. Lots of practical measures have also been put in place, from purchasing a new set of music folders to re-modelling the toilet facilities in the crypt rehearsal room to accommodate both males and females.

The girl choristers have been recruited from across Cornwall and beyond, and all of the successful applicants attend Truro School where they receive scholarships and means-tested additional bursaries where required. As with the boy choristers, the aim has been that selection is based solely on musical criteria, as well as academic suitability for a place at the school.

The girl choristers rehearse every weekday morning before school and will, once they are fully up and running, sing two or three services every week at the cathedral, as well as taking part in CD recordings, BBC broadcasts and choir tours.

Christopher Gray added: "It has been a pleasure to work with the staff at Truro School to make this dream a reality. I have been struck by the professionalism and warmth of the staff who have ensured the whole thing has run as smoothly as it could possibly have done; their drive to find imaginative solutions to problems that have arisen has spoken volumes about their passion for the whole thing. It feels like we are creating something very special indeed.

"Of course, we will continue to pour every fibre of our collective being into sustaining and nurturing our wonderful boy choristers through this year of change, supported as always by the amazing staff at Polwhele House School which has been such an important part of their success. This whole new development with girl choristers is possible only because of the tremendous success of the current team with whom it is my privilege to work on an almost daily basis.

"The girls will add a new dimension to our cathedral music, and my firm belief is that the boys will continue to thrive, and that our community and our worship will be enriched by their talents."

The girls will be singing at both the 10am Eucharist and also the 4pm Evensong.