Play to celebrate Oldham women who were ‘first’ to sing in an English church choir

More than 300 years ago, a new set of rules was drawn up for the choir at St Mary’s parish church.

The choir listed 36 men and three women.

Now the event, which happened back in 1701, is to be celebrated in a play by local authors Livi Michael and Carol Davies.

More than 200 tickets have been sold so far for the play – which dramatises possibly the first three women to be allowed to sing in an English church choir.

The three women would have been trailblazers

After a premiere at Millgate Arts Centre in June, a one-off show of the play, entitled ‘Singers Not Sinners’, will be performed at Oldham Parish Church on Tuesday, August 30, at 7.30pm.

Organisers hope some of the proceeds from the performance will go towards erecting a plaque commemorating the trailblazing women near the west door of the church.

Play organisers say the decision to include women would have faced strong opposition, with even all-male church choirs having been forced to disband during the time of Oliver Cromwell half a century before. 

Following the restoration of Charles II in 1660, women were allowed to perform at theatres for the first time, but actresses were still poorly regarded.

Playwright Livi Michael said: “The dramatic potential of the situation was very clear to us.

“There must have been a lot of shouting and a lot of disapproval, and yet maybe the beauty of the women’s voices singing to God made people think again.”

Fellow playwright Carol Davies added: “Nuns had sung in choirs behind the closed doors of convents before this, but it seems that it may have been here in Oldham that women were been included in an English church choir.

“We think it’s a story that deserves telling, and we are sure that it will provide good entertainment at the same time.

“I am indebted to everyone who has helped tell the story of these three extraordinary women who put their necks on the line, literally, when they agreed to sing in Elias Hall’s choir.

“Our main characters really existed and you will see that Richard Sugden’s name adorns the list of vicars on the board behind you.

The name of vicar Richard Sugden adorns the board in the church

“However, despite all our research, we could not find the names of our three intrepid singers so we have chosen local names and used the Tetlow sisters who were church and choir benefactors at this time.

“There were three women amongst the thirty-six men in Elias Hall’s choir and they did sing at St Mary’s, Oldham on Easter Sunday 1701 before the Bishop of Chester.

“As far as we can find out they were the first women to do this, certainly in England and most probably in Europe. Enjoy their story and be proud of their courage.”

‘Singers Not Sinners’ premiered at the Millgate Arts Centre in Delph in June, and now has a one-off special performance in Oldham Parish Church on Tuesday, August 30, at 7.30pm. 

Tickets are available from TicketSource, at £10 for an adult and £5 for under-16s.