Hereford Cathedral Choir will be travelling to France in June to take part in services and events commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
The choir will sing at several services during their time in France, including the Royal British Legion Commemoration Service at Bayeux Cathedral, on Thursday 6 June.
The service will be attended by veterans, their families and dignitaries. Bayeux was the first town to be liberated by the Allied forces and following the commemoration event at the cathedral, the choir will sing at the Royal British Legion’s service at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Bayeux War Cemetery.
During their trip to France, the choir have also been invited to sing Choral Evensong at L’abbaye aux Dames, Caen on Wednesday 5 June as part of their programme of events to commemorate the anniversary.
The final event in the choir’s programme will be as part of a ceremony on the sea front at Arromanches on the afternoon of Thursday 6 June, as part of a series of events hosted by the local authority to mark the anniversary.
Geraint Bowen, Director of music at Hereford Cathedral said:
‘It is a great honour for our choir to have been invited to take part in the D-Day 75th anniversary commemorations and I know that it will be an unforgettable experience for everyone taking part.’
Glyn Morgan, Chief Executive of Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust, said:
‘The Trust are delighted to be able to support this trip, following on from last year’s visit to the Vatican, which will not only help raise the profile of the choir and cathedral but also of Herefordshire and the Marches in general. We are very grateful to the Royal British Legion for the invitation to participate.’
Hereford Cathedral Choir is comprised of twelve adult lay clerks and choral scholars and eighteen boy choristers, who sing regular services at the cathedral.
This invitation to perform in France follows on from another high-profile event for the choir who last year were invited to perform in the Sistine Chapel and at the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul in St Peter’s Square.
The trip is largely funded by Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust with the support of the Herefordshire Community Foundation and Hereford Cathedral Choir Association.
Find out more about Hereford Cathedral here.
