St. David’s Singing Pilgrimage to England and Wales
A choral residency at Lichfield and St. David’s Cathedrals
July 22 – August 1, 2023
St. David’s Choir will be the resident choir at Lichfield Cathedral in England and then at St. David’s Cathedral, Wales, July 2023. The choir will rehearse and sing for daily evensong services, with morning sight-seeing excursions planned for most days. Additional travelers are welcome to accompany the choir on this journey!
You are invited to travel with the St. David’s Adult Choir to England and Wales next July!
We will stay in Lichfield, England, for the first five days where the choir will sing daily Evensong services in the magnificent cathedral. We are also planning excursions near Lichfield, including Coventry Cathedral, Stratford-Upon-Avon (Shakespeare’s hometown), and Kenilworth Castle. We will continue to the home of our Welsh St. David’s ancestors, Pembrokeshire, Wales, where we will stay next to the St. David’s Cathedral and hear our choir sing evensong and Sunday morning liturgies. We will also visit nearby Pembroke Castle and, along our return trip to London, we will stop in Bristol.
Check out the itinerary and cost information at the link below and contact Clair Rozier at crozier@stdavidschurch.org to sign up!
FAQs
What is a cathedral choral residency?
Anglican Cathedrals in the British Isles have choir schools for boys and/or girls. These young choristers, together with adult male choral singers, comprise the cathedral choirs. During the school session, the cathedral choirs sing an evensong service every evening, as well as all the liturgies on Sundays. In July and August these choir schools are out of session but worship in the cathedral continues year round. During this time, other choirs are invited to be “in residence” and provide choral music for the daily evensongs and Sunday liturgies.
What is evensong?
Evensong is a primarily musical service whose roots are found in the original prayer rituals of monasteries. Every three hours, monks would pray the “canonical hours,” or “offices,” singing psalms, canticles and saying prayers round the clock. In the Anglican Church, the evening “office” (Vespers), evolved into Evensong. All cathedrals have evensong daily—a vestigial practice of the monastic prayer discipline.
The choir will be presenting Evensong in the St. David’s Chapel twice in 2023 before they travel to the United Kingdom. Come experience this beautiful musical form of worship inherited from the traditions of our Anglican ancestors.
Support the Pilgrimage – Upcoming Fundraisers
