In March 2024, the choir received written notice from the college that St John's Voices would be disbanded by June 2024. They stated that the decision was made to "to adopt a broader approach to the provision of co-curricular opportunities in music for our students, including in different genres". This decision caused widespread controversy, due to the reduction of opportunities for female singers. Despite the fact that St John's College choir has admitted women since 2022,[3] it does not include soprano voices.
Members of St John's Voices initiated a campaign against the disbandment, condemning the decision as "regressive" in an open letter which received over 14,000 signatures.[4] They stated that the admission of female singers into the Choir of St John's College had been "weaponised against the very existence of another ensemble, supposedly in the name of broadening opportunities".[5] The open letter received national media attention from The Guardian,[6]The Daily Telegraph[7] and The Independent,[8] with notable supporters including Rowan Williams, Simon Rattle, Sarah Connolly, Gareth Malone, Alexander Armstrong, Anna Lapwood, and John Rutter.[9]
In response to the protest, the college released a statement saying that the move was made to "redirect the significant resources currently devoted to St John's Voices", highlighting that the choir has recently expanded to include members from other colleges.[10]