Cathedral Music News - Easter 2026
Round-up
The Choir has just helped lead a powerful and busy Holy Week and Easter, attended by large and appreciative congregations. And our rendition of Thine be The Glory at Easter has been watched by just over 55,000 people socials and counting! Our Lent Term ended with our third ever Early Music Festival.
Read on for a round-up of the weekend of Epiphany, Candlemas and Lent Carol Services, our work with schools including a new project called ‘Small Sounds’…..
People
We have been pleased to welcome new choristers to the Cathedral Choir and Consort—welcome to Alex, Hadley, Alex, Thomas and Henry to the boys’ choir and Melisande, Florence and Sophia to the girls’ choir. Our Choral Scholars have excelled themselves in so many ways thus far in their year with us—singing superbly in choir as well as some brilliant solo work. We’re half way through our auditions for next year’s scholars, and look forward to welcoming Owain, Isaac, Henry and Nelly
Carol Services
After an amazing sequence of Christmas Carol Services, we swiftly moved on to Epiphany, Candlemas and then last month a sequence of music for Lent based on the beautiful Nicholas Mynheer exhibition in our Nave.
Early Music Festival 2026
This year’s festival featured concerts, talks, workshops, outreach to schools and sung services. It was a particular highlight to have Britten’s Noyes Fludde performed in the Cathedral Quire by pupils from PGS including impressive solo work from Cathedral Choristers Sam and Melisande as well as ex-choristers Max and Niki.
We were pleased to welcome back Gabrieli ROAR for Baroque Pops and perform Vivaldi’s Gloria with St John’s RC Primary and St John’s CofE Primary (Gosport) and West Hill Park School. Thank you to the Cathedral Sing Team, Adrian, Sachin and Alex who led numerous sessions in schools this term.
Handel’s Messiah
Our Early Music Festival concluded with a very special performance of Handel’s Messiah. We were blessed with a terrific band once again arranged by former Organ Scholar Will Drakett. The choir excelled itself and our own choristers delighted us with superb solo work from Daniel, Alex, Sam, Evelyn and Olivia.
CD recording to be released…
A Year in Portsmouth
We are pleased to confirm that our 2024 recording sessions for Regent Records are being finalised and the disc ‘A Year in Portsmouth’ will be available at the end of May. The music recorded is a great snapshot of the musical and liturgical year here in Portsmouth with some beautiful singing from our musicians of works like Rutter’s setting of Psalm 27 and Grieg’s Ave Maris stella.
City of Portsmouth 100
This year marks the centenary of the gifting of city status to Portsmouth by George V in April 1926. We were honoured to host the city’s celebration service in March and sang music connected with the city’s history. It was good to be joined by a Brass Quintet from HM Royal Marines Band Service too.
Fortnum & Mason Advent Calendar
We’re delighted to announce that our recent Christmas Carol album will be featured on the 2026 Fortnum & Mason Advent Calendar—more details soon!
JOIN OUR CHOIR
We are always pleased to hear from prospective singers—boys and girls aged Year 2 upwards can audition at any time and we hold regular choir taster sessions.
Email for more information - music@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk
Choir Association Events
'A huge thank you to our small PCCA committee and volunteer parents who work so hard to raise money for choir treats, tours and pay. The Christmas Fayre and Burn’s Night raised nearly £4,000 between them—thank you so much for this vital work!
Any parent is welcome to join the PCCA committee—just drop a note to Chairman Matt Hill via David Price.
Small Sounds
Thanks to support from the national charity, The Cathedral Music Trust we have started a new venture for toddlers. On a Tuesday morning at 10am a group of around 15 youngsters aged between 0-4 meet to sing with their parents/carers and our music team led by Eliot, Anna and Sam make music for an hour—and with occasional visiting musicians (see left).
It’s a great initiative and we are delighted to see it grow!
SAVE THE DATE!
We are planning a reunion of former Scholars and Choristers on the weekend of Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July. The weekend will see the launch of a new Music Endowment Fund, a Gala Dinner and mark David Price’s 30th year in post at Portsmouth Cathedral.
Summer term …
The Summer term sees an Easter Carol Service, the Boys’ Tour to Normandy for DDay82, a BBC Radio 4 broadcast for Sea Sunday, the Ordination of Rev’d Kitty Price to the Priesthood in June and our part in Portsmouth 100 celebrations.
We shall be singing at St Matthew’s Blackmore for a special Evensong on Sunday 28 June and then Ascension Church on Friday 3 July.
