Hereford Cathedral is very pleased to announce that it has received £127,000 from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund, to support Hereford Cathedral Choir.

Today, (Monday 12 October), Arts Council England announced an investment of £257 million in 1,385 venues, theatres, museums and cultural organisations, through the first tranche of Culture Recovery Fund: Grants programme administered by the Arts Council. The fund, which was applied for by the Perpetual Trust, will help to cover the costs of the choir and other musical costs, including pastoral and safeguarding support along with the  care of the cathedral’s historic organs, as the cathedral faces a significant loss of income as a result of the pandemic. 

Hereford Cathedral Choir returned to the stalls at the beginning of September following almost six months away due to the ongoing restrictions - this was quite possibly the longest time without choral services in Hereford Cathedral since the 1650s. The choir had been greatly missed by the cathedral community and there were many emotional responses from members of the congregation upon their return.

Glyn Morgan, CEO of Perpetual Trust, said: “We are delighted to have received this grant to help support choral music at Hereford Cathedral. Over the last few years, Hereford Cathedral Choir have celebrate the beauty of choral music with several high profile performances; including singing for the Pope in Rome (2018), taking part in the national D-Day75 commemorations in Bayeux and being guests of the Foreign Office in Italy last Christmas. It is a real privilege to be able to share the music of the choir with so many people and we are very grateful that, due to this funding, we will be able to continue to do so.”

Geraint Bowen, Director of Music, said: “The choir plays an essential role in training young and developing singers, as well as providing paid employment for our lay clerks, with many of our former choristers and scholars going on to establish careers as professional musicians. We were all very pleased to be able to return to singing services within the cathedral and look forward to be able to return to our wider performance programme as and when restrictions permit us to do so. At a time in which so many musicians are facing uncertainty, this funding is very welcome.”

Hereford Cathedral Choir consists of 9 lay clerks and 18 choristers as well as four music scholars who train and study with the cathedral each year.

Here for Culture is a movement that unites the public, government and cultural organisations in support of our fantastic cinemas, theatres, music venues, museums, galleries and heritage. Whether on the global stage or quietly in our own lives, culture inspires, uplifts, comforts and entertains us. The government is #HereForCulture with an unprecedented £1.57 billion of funding coming through on top of the furlough scheme, bounce-back loans and emergency grants. For more information click here.