The congregation of that German city, known as the Sparrows of the Cathedral of Regensburg, allowed access only to children and young adults, preserving the legacy of a project founded in 975.
The group and its partner school have been awarded the Order of Culture Ambassadors for Europe and the United Nations Children’s Fund, and will begin accepting girls in the 2022-2023 school year.
“We look forward to welcoming girls to our school in the future and offering them amazing opportunities,” said group director Christian Hess, who announced two years ago his intention to change the dynamics of the squad.
Beyond defending women’s rights, the change seeks to change the perception around the choir, showing in 2010 that famous sparrows were victims of corporal punishment and sexual abuse, a complaint that was followed by a nearly decade-long investigative process backed by more than 500 testimonies.
According to the final survey report conducted by the Catholic Church, about 500 children suffered physical abuse and 67, sexual assaults, including rapes, between 1945 and the early 1990s.
Los Gorriones is a mix between the cathedral choir and singing school, installed in the same building, where young singers study in their own institute, a language and humanistic training center.
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