Welcome
We are delighted to invite you to the Southern Cathedrals Festival, held in the beautiful setting of Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral School and the Church of St Thomas in the city centre.
2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War and some of the music of the Festival reflects this evocative and important theme. We also mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Hubert Parry, a giant figure in the revival of English church music.
A lecture recital exploring Elgar’s chamber works dating from 1918 will take place in the Cathedral School on the Thursday, and on the same day, the boys and men of the three Cathedrals will give an afternoon concert of music and poetry, with the war theme interspersed with three of Bach’s virtuosic motets. The Saturday concert has as its main work Brahms’ sublime Requiem.
The Festival is all about sharing liturgy and worship as well as music. There are five services (one to be recorded by the BBC), three Youth in Music concerts, three major choral concerts and three Late Night Bach by Candlelight piano recitals plus an organ recital by the former Assistant Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral, Daniel Cook.
On the Friday evening, the girl choristers from Salisbury and Winchester and men from the three Cathedrals perform beautiful music by Handel and Purcell with a period instruments orchestra.
We cherish the friendship between our three Cathedrals, a family to which our musicians, patrons, worshippers and audience members belong. We look forward to sharing the Southern Cathedrals Festival with you.
David Halls Salisbury Cathedral
Charles Harrison Chichester Cathedral
Andrew Lumsden Winchester Cathedral