Southwark Cathedral
Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd January 2027

Choral Evensong and Choral Eucharist

Welcome in the New Year with two Choral Evensongs and a Choral Eucharist in Southwark Cathedral, London's first Gothic Church, beside London Bridge, next to the vibrant Borough Market, at the heart of the capital city .

Programme

Click HERE to book.

What will we sing?

We shall sing for three services all the musical components of a traditional Book of Common Prayer Eucharist and Evensong: the hymns, psalms, sung responses, canticles, a Mass setting, and three anthems.
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis—Fauxbourdon by William Byrd (ca.1540-1623)
Uns ist ein Kindlein heut geborn by Michael Praetorius (1571-1621)
Messe Brève à Quatre Voix by Théodore Dubois (1837-1924)
Lo ! star-led chiefs by William Crotch (1775-1847)
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in A flat by Basil Harwood (1859-1949)
Il est né le divin Enfant (Anon)
Responses by Thomas Morley (1557-1602)
plus psalms, hymns and acclamations.

Who can take part?

This will appeal to anyone used to singing four part sacred music in a choir. There is no audition, and you do not need to be an expert sight reader, but you do need to be able to read music well enough to learn your part in advance. A full set of rehearsal videos will be posted at the bottom of this page and participants are encouraged to use these for easy regular part-learning in the weeks prior to our visit.

What does it cost?

The cost is £189 per person. This includes all refreshments and a light lunch on the Rehearsal Day in November, and the Saturday and Sunday at the cathedral; a three-course dinner on Saturday evening including with wine, beer, hot and soft drinks (unrestricted but subject to reasonable consumption per head). It also includes a printed set of all the music.

Click HERE to book.

What do I wear?

During the Rehearsal day and Saturday evening dinner you may dress casually.
For the service, everyone must wear black. For the ladies this means black dresses, or black tops and skirts or trousers, black shoes, and discreet personal jewellery. Tights may be black or natural. For the gentlemen, black shirts open at the neck, black trousers, socks and shoes, and black jackets or jumpers if worn. Dinner jacket components are acceptable.
As it is January, bring warm wear. Black jumpers or cardigans may be worn, even black coats if needed.
There is not much time for changing immediately prior to each service.

Preparation

It is very important that everyone prepares in advance as much as necessary to be able to sing their part when we come togther with few or no stumbles over the notes.
The rehearsal day in November is mandatory for all except those for whom a day trip to London is impractical. If you think you may have difficuly attending the rehearsal day, please contact me in advance.
I will place rehearsal videos for each part for each piece here, which you can watch and sing along with as an efficient and easy way to practice your part as often as you feel you need to.

Can I bring a partner or a friend?

Friends, family and partners are very welcome to attend the actual services as members of the congregation, and these are open to the public at no charge. If a friend or partner would like to join the group for refreshments, meals, and the Abbey tour, but will not be a singer, they may do so, paying a reduced charge.

Accommodation is left up to individuals to organise. If you are planning to come, you may wish to book accommodation early, in order to get the best rates and good availability.

Click HERE to book.

Music files and practice videos

Scores and part-learning videos will appear here shortly.

You do not need to print out scores unless desired for your practice. On the day all singers will receive a printed book of scores.