A special service for will be broadcast live tonight from Christ Church Cathedral featuring the Cathedral Choir accompanied by the Wolsey Ensemble.
The Choir will be performing the well-known Requiem by Gabriel Fauré as part of a Eucharist for All Souls Day. The Feast of All Souls is the time in the Church’s year when we remember those who have died, and is always a moving service.
It is also an occasion when, thanks to sponsorship from the Friends of Christ Church Cathedral, the Cathedral invites a chamber orchestra to enhance the musical element of the worship.
The Cathedral has recently installed state-of-the-art equipment to make the webcasting of services possible. Since September a range of services have been livestreamed, but this is the first time for a joint project by the Cathedral Choir and Wolsey Ensemble.
The Revd Philippa White, Cathedral Precentor, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer Fauré's Requiem with an orchestral accompaniment at this service. It is always a poignant and beautiful service, and this year more than ever as people remember loved ones they have lost.
“We have had a number of events around All Souls Day this year, both the traditional and the more creative. On Saturday we were so pleased to offer the Cathedral as a space for people to bring their grief to God in our ‘A Chance to Say Goodbye’ event. Many people came and shared moving stories of grieving during the pandemic.
“All are welcome to join us tonight either in the Cathedral or on livestream, as we offer this Eucharist for the repose of all souls. They are loved by us and loved and cared for by God.”
The announcement over the weekend that England is about to enter a second national lockdown means that public worship will once more be suspended for a month after Thursday. The Cathedral will livestream services without a congregation, the details of which will be announced later this week. It is as yet uncertain whether these streamed can include choral music.
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