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We are the voluntary choirs of UK cathedrals.
All consist primarily of adults, except for Worcester which has boys on the treble line.
THE WELLS INITIATIVE
In many cathedrals there is a choir which sings services when the Cathedral Choir is away, or in some cases sings an evening service on Sundays when the Cathedral Choir is no longer on duty. These choirs are named differently in the various cathedrals which they serve, but a general term would be “Cathedral Voluntary Choirs”. Some of these voluntary choirs are of long standing - Chester, with a foundation around 1800, claiming to be the oldest - with several having celebrated their centenary. Others have been formed, or re-formed, more recently. However, all have tended to work in isolation and it was doubtful if anyone had a record of how many cathedral voluntary choirs there were or how they operated. Lynne Browning, the then Vice-Chairman of Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir, thought it would be interesting to find out.
In the Spring of 1996 a questionnaire was sent to the 42 Anglican cathedrals in England, 6 in Wales and to St Mary’s, Edinburgh. One question enquiring about possible interest in forming some sort of federation of cathedral voluntary choirs received a positive reply from most voluntary choirs.
Interested choirs were invited to send representatives to an exploratory meeting in Wells on 6 July 1996. Members from the voluntary choirs serving Exeter, Derby, Guildford, Rochester, Southwell and Truro attended. There was a very positive response for the initiative and The Association of Cathedral Voluntary Choirs was chosen as an umbrella name.
Eighteen voluntary choirs joined the Association during the first year:
Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir
St Philip’s Singers (Birmingham)
Guildford Cathedral Occasional Singers
The Chapter House Singers (Edinburgh)
Chester Cathedral Nave Choir
Lichfield Cathedral Chamber Choir
St Edmundsbury Singers
Coventry Cathedral Chapter House Choir
Salisbury Cathedral Voluntary Choir
Exeter Cathedral Voluntary Choir
Peterborough Cathedral Voluntary Choir
Worcester Cathedral Voluntary Choir
Derby Cathedral Voluntary Choir
St Asaph Cathedral Singers
St Mary’s Singers Music Society (Truro)
Southwell Minster Chorale
Carlisle Cathedral Voluntary Choir
Rochester Cathedral Special Choir.
Four more choirs joined by April 2001:
The Lincoln Singers
Worcester Cathedral Chamber Choir
Hereford Cathedral Voluntary Choir
Chelmsford Cathedral Voluntary Choir
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