Three Cathedral Choirs: 370 Festivals – Supporting the Ministry of our Clergy

The three cathedral choirs of Bradford, Lichfield and St Pauls will join their voices for the oldest choral music event in the world.

Three cathedral choirs: 370 years of choral music tradition.

Next month St Paul’s Cathedral will host the 370th Clergy Support Trust’s Festival Service -an afternoon of thanksgiving for the ministry of clergy with the Lord Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehgani.

Bradford Cathedral Choir

Bradford Cathedral Choir has been part of the city’s choral community since well before St Peter’s Church became Bradford Cathedral, over 100 years ago. There are two fully independent lines of boy and girl choristers, drawn from schools throughout the region, and a number of teenage Junior Choral Scholars.

The choir sings regularly for five services a week, including compline on Thursday evenings, undertakes regular tours, gives concerts, and occasionally makes recordings and broadcasts. The choir is led by their Organist and Director of Music, Graham Thorpe.

Lichfield Cathedral Choir

Made up of four sections which form many different combinations – the Boy Choristers, the Girl Choristers, and the VI form Choral Scholars (all of whom attend the Cathedral School), and the Lay Vicars Choral – the choir at Lichfield is led by their Director of Music, Ben Lamb and the Assistant Director of Music, Martyn Rawles.

During school term time, the Choir usually sings seven services each week: Choral Compline on Monday, Choral Evensong Tuesday to Friday, and the Eucharist and Evensong on Sunday. The Choir also gives occasional concerts and recitals, and has made frequent broadcasts, both on television and radio.

The founding of the choir can be traced back to the early days of the current cathedral in the 13th century.

St Paul’s Cathedral Choir

Bradford and Lichfield Cathedral Choirs will perform alongside St Paul’s Cathedral Choir – who have been part of the Festival for over three centuries  and are currently led by their Director of Music, Andrew Carwood MBE.

Speaking on last year’s Festival Service, Andrew said:

“It is a rare and wonderful joy to work with such incredible choirs each year, and even more so when you are part of an almost unbroken line of choirs singing together under the dome of St Paul’s stretching back over nearly 370 years.”

The choir have performed at some of the cathedral’s most important services – including their Grenfell Tower Memorial Service and the Service of Prayer and Reflection for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Join the Festival

The Festival Service is free to attend, and will take place at St Paul’s Cathedral on Tuesday 13 May 2025, 5pm.

The Festival is the biggest fundraising event of the year for the Clergy Support Trust and is free to enter with a retiring cash collection and  contactless donation points beside St Paul’s own donation points at the Cathedral doors

It is recommended that tickets are. Booked in advance to avoid disappointment as the Festival regularly attracts over 1,000 people.

Book here.