A rich and varied musical programme will be presented at Chichester Cathedral this summer as it hosts the annual Southern Cathedrals Festival from 18-21 July. During the Festival, an exciting range of events, performances and services will be held in the Cathedral and other iconic venues around the city centre.
The Festival celebrates the friendship between Chichester, Salisbury and Winchester cathedrals and is a highlight of the musical calendar. It offers sacred choral and organ music presented both as concerts and within worship. Choirs of the three cathedrals can be heard in combination and individually; guest musicians offer performances in a variety of genres from English song to jazz.
At the Cathedral, three choral concerts take their place in the programme alongside four services (one recorded for broadcast by the BBC), recitals, a performance by the superb West Sussex Youth Wind Orchestra, and evening entertainment in the Festival Marquee in the Deanery Garden.
The Festival culminates in a performance of one of the great achievements of Western music, J. S. Bach’s St John Passion, in which the choirs are joined by an exciting line-up of soloists, and the acclaimed period-instrument orchestra ‘Florilegium’.
New for this year’s Festival are two evening get-togethers hosted by the Friends of the Cathedral in a Grand Marquee in the wonderful setting of the Deanery Gardens. All are warmly invited to a Fish n’ Chip Supper on Friday 19th July, and a Jazz and Hog Roast Evening on Saturday 20th. Tickets should be bought in advance.
The Dean of Chichester, The Very Reverend Stephen Waine, commented, “We are delighted to be hosting this celebration of sacred music in the iconic setting of the Cathedral which has been a place of worship for 900 years. We look forward to welcoming returning music lovers and encourage those who have not been before to experience this wonderful music for the first time.”
You can find a full list of Festival events and information on how to buy tickets here on our website, or on the Southern Cathedral Festival Website https://www.southerncathedralsfestival.org.uk/
July 18 2019: Please note, as from today tickets are no longer available via the websites. Tickets are available from the Cathedral shop daily till midday, and on the door 45 minutes before the performance.