Visiting Choirs

The Dean and Chapter welcome requests from visiting choirs, who are familiar with the Anglican liturgy, and are of Cathedral calibre, to sing services at Exeter Cathedral during the Cathedral Choir holidays. 

These are usually during the summer months of July and August, Low Sunday Weekend (the first weekend after Easter), half terms in February, May and October, Bank Holidays and most Wednesday's throughout the year.  Please click on the PDF Files for information about what is involved, along with detailed information about the orders of service.

To view General Information for Visiting Choirs, please click here
To view information for 9.45am Sunday Sung Eucharist, please click here
To view information for 5.30pm Solemn Eucharist, please click here
To view information for 11.15am Choral Mattins, please click here
To view information for Choral Evensong, please click here

Canon Carl Turner, Canon Precentor of Exeter Cathedral writes:

We are looking forward to welcoming you to this ancient Cathedral and to becoming part of a musical tradition dating back over 950 years.  For most of that time a choir of men and boys has sung the services almost daily without interruption (save a brief time during the ‘Commonwealth' period).  In recent years girl choristers have also joined the choir.  We currently have 40 choristers, 13 lay vicars and choral scholars and three organists leading our worship.  Whilst many visiting choirs will see their visit as a means of singing in an ancient cathedral, we in turn, will see you as part of a living community for the duration of your stay.

We look forward to receiving your music list as, and when, it is ready.  Please be aware that with a large number of visiting choirs over the summer there is the chance for repetition and we may ask you to change a piece to prevent it being sung more times than is helpful.  Please also note that there may be feast days or special celebrations during your stay and we may ask you to change a piece if it is considered inappropriate.  For that reason an early submission of music lists helps all of us.  It is important that there is need for a careful choice of music that reflects the competence of the choir and the appropriateness to the occasion.  Please remember that the psalmody is at the heart of the office and we do not favour introits and long anthems accompanied by a request to shorten the psalms for the day!

Choirs that visit for a week will normally be offered some form of hospitality by the Cathedral Chapter, usually after evensong on a weekday.  We will discuss this with you on, or just before, your arrival.  We really do want you to feel at home in our beautiful cathedral.

If you are bringing children to sing, please let me have a list of names and they will be given a certificate when they leave to show that they have been part of the Cathedral's ancient musical tradition.

Please do not hesitate to contact me or my department.

Canon Carl Turner - Precentor
Tel: 01392 285984
Email: liturgy@exeter-cathedral.org.uk

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