Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust Hosts Second Summer Tea Party

On Thursday, 5th June, the Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust (WCCT) hosted its second Summer Tea Party, welcoming a fantastic turnout of Friends & Ambassadors for another lovely afternoon.

Guests enjoyed an afternoon gathering filled with conversation, updates on the Trust’s initiatives, and, of course, a traditional afternoon tea. A special highlight of the event was a captivating violin performance by one of the Choristers, which left attendees thoroughly impressed.

The WCCT extends its thanks to Wells Cathedral School for once again providing wonderful catering, ensuring a truly enjoyable experience for all. It was a pleasure to host this event for our valued supporters.

Following the success of this year’s gatherings, we will add the Summer Tea Parties to our annual calendar and look forward to welcoming Friends again soon to more events.

Summer Tea Party Welcomes Friends of the Trust

Last week, the Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust hosted the first of two Summer Tea Parties, welcoming a group of Friends of the Trust for a delightful afternoon.

Guests enjoyed a traditional afternoon tea while receiving an update on the Trust’s ongoing activities and initiatives. A highlight of the event was a special appearance by current Head Chorister, Bea, who captivated the audience with her performance, accompanied on the piano by Cathedral Director of Music, Timothy Parsons.

The WCCT was honoured to host such a wonderful gathering and looks forward to welcoming more Friends at the next Summer Tea Party on Thursday 5th June.

The Anniversary of the Coronation

On the anniversary of the Coronation of His Majesty The King we are delighted to share some exciting news about our Coronation Fund Appeal.

Inspired by the Coronation and the theme of inclusion, the Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust, with the support of our Patron HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, has been running a two year Coronation Fund Appeal, which aims to raise £500,000 by September 2025 and can only be used to support Choristers whose families can contribute less than 5% of the required school fees, and in many cases need a full bursary. The Coronation Fund will enable bursary support of between 95%-100% to these Chorister families, and details of our Coronation Fund Appeal are on our website if you would like to learn more.  
 
This is such an exciting project, and we are very close to completing the whole sum. A very generous donor has agreed to match fund any final contributions that we are able to raise, to ‘take us over the line’.
 
We are very grateful for the ongoing support we receive from our many regular contributors to the Chorister cause. We have also been pleased to receive many individual donations specifically for the Coronation Fund. All contributions are very gratefully received and if you would like to be involved then donations can be made via this form.
 
If you would like to talk to the Chair, Mr Arnold Wills, please contact him on chairman@wcct.co.uk. 
 
The annual evensong for the Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust will be on Saturday 11 October 2025, when we will especially celebrate the completion of the Coronation Fund Appeal. Please put that in the diary.

A Special Sound created at the Chorister Reunion 2025

On Saturday 26th April, we were thrilled to welcome back former Choristers and members of the Choir Association to Wells for their annual reunion. It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces from across the generations.

The returning Choristers joined the current choir for Evensong, which made for a really special and memorable service. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed catching up and sharing stories over a lovely dinner.

Rod Downes Former Chorister from 1960-1964 said "it was a lovely evening full of great music and wonderful company".

The WCCT are now the main point of contact for all former Choristers, so if you’re one of them – stay in touch, we’d love to hear from you!

If you would like to be a part of our mailing list please sign up here:

The Trust welcomes two new Trustees

The Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust welcomes two new Trustees to the Board.

Mark Groom is in full time independent practice as a consultant occupational physician. His lifelong love of music has included piano study with Benjamin Frith in Leeds and forming the Northwood Piano Trio.  He continues to play chamber music as time allows.  Mark sang with the chantry Singers in Bath under Elizabeth Bates and now sings with the Wells Cathedral Chamber Choir.  “Music is fundamental to achieving and maintaining good physical and mental health.  I promote the benefits of music avidly and am delighted to support the WCCT in its endeavours." says Mark.

Andrew Wilson completed 35 years at the BBC in January 2025 with roles including Head of BBC West in Bristol and most recently was responsible for all BBC leadership development. He’s now a coach and facilitator, mainly at board level. Andrew and his wife are both members of the Wells Cathedral Oratorio and Andrew is a regular organist at Wells Methodist Church. “I relish the opportunity to contribute to WCCT’s mission to make our world-class musical environment more accessible; I am passionate about the power and potential of music to transform lives.” remarks Andrew.

The Chair of the WCCT, Arnold Wills, commented “I am so pleased that Mark and Andrew have agreed to join our Board of Trustees. It will be wonderful to be supported by two people who bring both a wealth of expertise and a passion for music. I am really looking forward to working with both of them.”

The new High Sheriff of Somerset becomes a Patron

We are delighted that Janet Montgomery, High Sheriff of Somerset for 2025/26 has agreed to become a Patron of the Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust during her time in office. Her Declaration of Office took place on 23rd March at the Legal Service held in Wells Cathedral. We wish Janet every success for the coming year, and we look forward to seeing her at some of our future events.

Thank you to Rob Beckley, the outgoing Sheriff, for his invaluable support as a Patron of the Trust during the last year.

You can read more on our Patrons page.

Exciting Partnership Announced

We are delighted to announce a strengthened partnership between the Wells Cathedral Choir Association and Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust. In recent years the two organisations have been working together, especially in organising the successful Girls30 Celebrations. Building on this success, the WCCA is now officially part of the WCCT structure, benefitting from its administrative support. This development, backed by Arnold Wills the Chair, of the WCCT, and the full Board of Trustees, marks a significant and positive step forward.

The Annual WCCA reunion is scheduled for Saturday, 26 April 2025, we hope to see as many former choristers as possible. To sign up for this event please follow this link.

For more information or to stay connected, visit the WCCT website or email choirassociation@wcct.co.uk.

A Magical Afternoon at Wells Cathedral

Choristers Shine in Britten's A Ceremony of Carols

On Saturday 1st February, the Choristers delivered an outstanding performance of Britten's A Ceremony of Carols in the breathtaking setting of the Nave at Wells Cathedral. The concert was filled with enchanting music that resonated through the historic walls of the cathedral, leaving the audience in awe.

Conducted by the Director of Music, Timothy Parsons, the Choristers showcased their exceptional vocal abilities and artistry. The Choristers were privileged to be accompanied by HM The King’s Harpist, Mared Pugh-Evans on this occasion. Their harmonious rendition of Britten's masterpiece captivated the audience from start to finish.

The audience, moved by the exquisite performance, gave the Choristers a well-deserved standing ovation. The applause echoed through the cathedral, a testament to the power and beauty of the concert.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to the hundreds of people who attended and supported the work of the Trust. This was a truly special event.

Be a Boy Chorister for a Day

Wells Cathedral has vacancies for boys who would like to join the famous Wells Cathedral Choir! 

If you know a boy who may be interested, on Saturday 15 March 2025, the Cathedral is holding a Be a Boy Chorister for a Day event.
 
Boys aged between six and nine who love to sing can experience what it is like to be a Cathedral Chorister. There will be fun singing workshops, and the day will end with them taking part in the Evensong service alongside the Boy Choristers of the Cathedral Choir.
 
Later in the year, on Saturday 20 September 2025, there will be the annual Be a Chorister for a Day event which is open to all children.
 
Here is a link to further information on the Wells Cathedral website, including a wonderful short video of the Choristers explaining how they feel about Chorister life in their own words - https://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/worship-and-music/choristerships
 
If you would like further information or to register for a place at either event, please contact Melanie Lawlor via musicoffice@wellscathedral.org.uk.

Be a Chorister for a Day (Boys) | Wells Cathedral School

Lord Lieutenant of Somerset Visit

We were delighted to welcome the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset on Thursday, 16th January, for a meeting with our chairman, Mr Arnold Wills.