Choir

Led by our friendly music and clergy team, sessions are filled with music, creativity, and community, helping children build confidence and discover the joy of singing. It’s also a great first step for those curious about becoming a Cathedral Chorister. 

Choristers have a rich and full musical life which requires dedication and commitment. They are rewarded with an excellent education, together with financial incentives supported by the Bristol Cathedral Choral Foundation. 

All our choristers are educated at Bristol Cathedral Choir School, the first government-funded Music and Maths Academy in the country.   

We hold a Chorister for the Day taster experience in the Spring of each year for Children in Year 4.

The Cathedral Consort is a voluntary choir of around 30 singers, formed from young people of secondary school age from schools across Bristol. Membership is open to anyone from Year 7 and above. Members would normally be expected to stay in the choir until they finish secondary school. Anyone staying in Bristol after Year 13, for example, to undertake a gap year, may remain in the choir for an extra year. The Consort is joined for services by the four Choral Scholars (usually university students) from the Cathedral Choir. Admission is by audition, conducted by the Director of the Consort.

The Consort rehearse once a week on a Thursday, after school, and sing the Sunday services on one Sunday each month. They also have opportunities to sing on special occasions through the year, including Easter Day and at Christmas

The “back row” of the Cathedral Choir consists of 10 adult singers. Four of these are Choral Scholars, usually students at the University of Bristol, who sing with the choir for the duration of their degree. Check our Current Opportunities page for details of any upcoming choral scholar vacancies.

Bristol Cathedral has had six Lay Clerks since its foundation – professional adult singers who provide the lower voices in the Cathedral Choir. 

They sing alongside the Choristers in services, major liturgies, and concerts, helping to uphold the Cathedral’s long-standing tradition of musical excellence within Anglican worship. 

Check our Current Opportunities page for details of any upcoming lay clerk vacancies.

The Chapel Choir rehearses every other Thursday and performs every Sunday morning during term-time, along with additional services at Christmas and Easter. The choir embraces a diverse repertoire, ranging from composers like Victoria and Stanford to Palestrina and Elgar. It is ideal for confident amateur singers with the ability to hold a musical line. While participation is voluntary, a small contribution is requested to help cover expenses.

Open to all former choristers, consort members, scholars, or lay clerks, the Bristol Cathedral Choral Alumni (BCCA) gather usually twice a year to sing alongside the cathedral choir:

Choral Evensong attended by Bristol Cathedral Choral Alumni – this Evensong welcomes back alumni for a celebration of cathedral music past and present.   

Midnight Mass – join the back row of the cathedral choir for the solemn Eucharist on Christmas Eve.  

When the Cathedral Choir is on holiday, our worship is supported by Visiting Choirs who come from all over the world.

Sung worship has been at the heart of this Cathedral Church for nearly half a millennium, and the contribution visiting choirs bring to that long tradition is important. We are grateful to them for the hard work, time, and effort put into their visit, and look forward to welcoming visiting choirs.

If you would like to bring your choir to sing at Bristol Cathedral, please get in touch with the Music & Liturgy Officer.