This autumn, Hereford Cathedral will host a range of events exploring Space & Other Worlds to celebrate the arrival of Luxmuralis’ Space sound and light show in October. This exciting programme of activities will feature a variety of events designed to inspire and engage audiences of all ages.

The Space & Other Worlds season will start with a special Gala Organ Concert performed by John Challenger on 17 September at 7pm. Former Hereford chorister John, who is now assistant director of music at Salisbury Cathedral, will be performing his own transcription of Holst’s The Planets on the great Father Willis organ.

Continuing in September, the cathedral will host a public lecture, Space, Other Worlds, and God: The Search for Aliens, on the evening of Friday 27 September followed by a workshop entitled Wonder, Wisdom, and Worship: The Christian Understanding of Creation the next morning on Saturday 28 September. Both events will be led by the Revd Professor David Wilkinson, Director of ‘Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science (ECLAS)’. The cathedral’s library & archives team will also be hosting an ‘out of this world’ event on Thursday 24 October as it invites guests to view a selection of items from its own collections which come from Unexpected Worlds. In October, artist and sculptor Peter Walker will give the annual Cantilupe Lecture on Wednesday 2 October as he discusses his work and introduces Luxmuralis’ Space show. 

On Saturday 12 October, Peter Dyke (assistant director of music at Hereford Cathedral) will boldly go where few organists have gone before, as he takes his Afternoon Music Beyond the Final Frontier. He will perform a selection of music known from film and television, alongside the Revd Canon James Pacey who will provide a series of short reflections during this free concert on sci-fi and spirituality. The cathedral’s regular Lego Club session on Tuesday 8 October will also be receiving an intergalactic makeover!

The highlight of the season will be Space – a spectacular sound and light Show by Luxmuralis, transforming the interior of Hereford Cathedral with a breathtaking light show from Wednesday, 16 October to Saturday 19 October 2024. This marks the cathedral’s first sound and light installation, promising a truly immersive experience. Space is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

The Space & Other Worlds season will conclude with the cathedral stepping into Narnia for a week of special lectures and events inspired by the CS Lewis classic, starting on Friday 25 October. The week will begin with former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, delivering a talk on ‘CS Lewis, Narnia and the Theology of Storytelling’ in the cathedral nave. This will be followed by Dr Jem Bloomfield, author of recent Narnia book Paths In The Snow, delivering an online talk exploring the ways that Narnia weaves together literary and theological meanings on Monday 28 October. There will also be two opportunities for families to discover the stories of Narnia for free, at a storytelling night on Tuesday 29 October, and Messy Church on Thursday 31 October (12 noon – 2 pm). 

For full details on all events and to book your tickets, please click the links (in bold) above or visit our event page to see all of our listings. You can also pick up our Space & Other Worlds leaflet in the cathedral or download a pdf copy by clicking here.

Banner: Photograph of Hereford Cathedral by Ash Mills