Friends’ Festival 2026

Dean Emeritus, Michael Tavinor, presents ‘Unlocking the Magic of the 48 Preludes and Fugues of J S Bach’, illustrating his talk with excerpts played on the piano and our famous Father Willis organ, with large screen to display hand and footwork. The event will be held in the Nave and fizz and canapes will be served in the Retrochoir after the talk.
Michael Tavinor studied music at University College, Durham, where he was organ scholar, and had organ lessons with the cathedral organist, Conrad Eden.  He continued his music studies at King’s College, London, where he researched the music of the 18th century composer, William Boyce.  He taught music for two years and then trained for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon.  After a curacy in Ealing, he became Precentor at Ely Cathedral, then, for 12 years, vicar of Tewkesbury Abbey.  From 2002 until his retirement in 2021, he was Dean of Hereford. In retirement in Presteigne, he enjoys pursuing his musical interests, re-kindling his enthusiasm for the piano and helping with the music at St Andrew’s parish church and at Presteigne Catholic church. 
 
The cost is £15 per member (£20 guests). Please feel free to invite family, friends and neighbours. To book places, send your cheque (payable to the Friends of Hereford Cathedral) to the Friends’ Events’ Team, 5 College Cloisters, Hereford, HR1 2NG. Please be aware that we no longer send out tickets: we keep a list of names which is checked at the door. Enclose SAE only if you would like an acknowledgement of your cheque / booking.  To pay by BACS, make your payment to the Friends of Hereford Cathedral, sort code 20:39:64, a/c 70396605, using reference ‘Events’. Then email [email protected] stating event, number of places required and total payment made. Again, a list of names will be kept at the door.

Saturday 13 June 2026

11.30am North Transept: Lay Clerks in Concert

This year will be different in that the individual Lay Clerks will be asked briefly to introduce themselves to the audience. It will be good to get to know them better. This light-hearted performance is offered free of charge to all, members and non members. We hope that non members will consider joining the Friends.

12.30pm College Hall Lunch (advance booking required: deadline Friday 5 June)

Join us for a glass of wine in College Hall, followed by an elegant two course lunch with wine, prepared and served by outside Caterers. There will be a hot mains option plus a vegetarian option, and a choice of dessert. Wine and soft drinks are included.

This year our after-lunch speaker will be the Cathedral’s Succentor, Dr Jonathan Roberts, who will speak about his musical background and his own vision for our much loved Choral tradition.

See overleaf for the lunch menu:

Friends’ Festival Lunch on Saturday 13 June 2026 (places must be reserved in advance):

Main course: Baked gammon with dauphinoise potatoes, peas and beans, parsley sauce 

or

Vegetable Wellington 

Dessert: Profiteroles with cream 

or 

Lemon tart with raspberries

You must let us know by FRIDAY 5 JUNE:

1.    If you require the Vegetarian option (or the Gammon without parsley sauce)

2.    Any other dietary requirements/allergies.

The cost of lunch is £35 per member (£40 guests).  Please note that this cost for lunch means that we can offer free of charge the Lay Clerks in Concert; a guest preacher at Evensong; and tea in College Hall after Evensong, in other words, no one is excluded from our Friends’ Festival on grounds of cost. Please support us in this endeavour.

2.15pm AGM in the Lady Chapel: open to all members

3.15pm Organ Voluntary: come and hear our world famous Father Willis organ!

3.30pm Festival Evensong in the Nave, with our Succentor, Dr Jonathan Roberts, as guest preacher

4.30pm Refreshments after Evensong are served in College Hall to all (members and non-members), courtesy of the Friends’ Trustees and supporters.  Please invite others to experience first-hand the benefits of joining the Friends.

To book for Friends’ Festival 2026, please use the general booking form. To simplify matters, we now have one booking form for all events.  No tickets will be sent. Your name will be on our list and checked at the door.