Attendees make their own way to their allocated Colleges and check into their accommodation. Choirs will be met at 4pm by their dedicated Schola guide, and escorted to an introductory talk, which will be followed by a general warm-up and brief rehearsal of the Grace Anthem. Choirs will then be escorted back to their Colleges in time for a candlelit dinner in Hall, at the end of which the Grace Anthem - the winning entry from our competition which all attendees are welcome to enter - will be sung. After dinner, all attendees are invited to attend Compline, sung by Cambridge Schola in a gorgeous College Chapel. The evening will close with an entirely optional (but very traditional) trip to ‘The Eagle’, a classic English pub (in which, in 1953, Crick and Watson famously announced that they had discovered DNA).

Every morning, breakfast will be provided in participants’ Colleges; choirs will then be escorted to a general rehearsal on Haydn’s Creation, led by Festival Director Graham Walker. Following the rehearsal, singing lessons will begin for those who wish to take up the opportunity. Each attendee is entitled to one free 30 minute singing lesson with one of the singing teachers from Cambridge’s College Choirs. At 1pm Alex Trigg, Cambridge Schola’s Assistant Director, will give a free organ recital on one of the University's famous organs, which all are welcome to attend. During the afternoon various options will be available (some of which attract a supplementary charge): a walking tour of the city, stopping to sing in a number of churches & chapels; a guided tour of the Fitzwilliam Museum, or a guided tour of one of the extraordinary College libraries. Three of our choirs will also have the chance to participate in a workshop led by acclaimed ensemble The Gesualdo Six. In the evening, directors of the visiting choirs will be invited to an exclusive drinks reception with the Director and Assistant Director of Cambridge Schola, after which The Gesualdo Six will give a concert in Trinity College Chapel, for which course attendees can purchase discounted tickets.

Wednesday is performance day for our visiting choirs: each choir will give a 20-minute performance in one of the city’s churches, and sing Choral Evensong in a gorgeous College Chapel. (Precise locations will depend upon proposed repertoire. Of course not every choir is comfortable singing choral evensong, so an alternative performance can be arranged.) Short rehearsal time (30 minutes) will be possible for the concerts, with approximately 45 minutes for evensong. Organists can be provided upon request for evensongs or concerts; choirs are welcome to bring their own organists (and/or pianists/accompanists), but Colleges may ask for details of organists’ credentials before allowing use of their instruments (please contact us in advance to discuss this option). Please see our FAQ (https://www.festivalofchoirs.com/contact)for more details about this. Other optional activities will be available during the day, though attendees are encouraged to enjoy performances by fellow festival choirs. At lunchtime, there will be a panel discussion and Q & A with prominent Cambridge choral musicians. There will also be two free performances by our singing teachers: in the late afternoon a recital of Lieder, and in the evening a recital of English Song. Also during the evening, participants have the option of booking (for an additional charge) an exclusive 5-course dinner with wine in a small panelled room in one of our Colleges, in the presence of guest of honour Sir John Rutter, patron of Cambridge Schola. The evening will include an after-dinner entertainment given by members of Cambridge Schola.

All will be invited to attend a public masterclass given by an eminent Professor of the Royal Academy of Music in London in the morning. Those wishing to take part in the masterclass will be invited to submit video applications in advance of attending; a small number of singers will be selected from those applications to take part during the event. Another guided walking tour of the city will take place at the same time, with the possibility of singing in a variety of locations along the way, for those who prefer not to participate in or attend the masterclass. The afternoon will be taken up with a full rehearsal for the Creation performance. Dinner will be provided in the form of a relaxed buffet in the gardens of one of our Colleges (weather permitting), with music provided by members of Cambridge Schola. In case of inclement weather, dinner will move to a College building. It is hoped that an after-hours visit will be arranged for all interested participants to join us to sing briefly in one of the largest chapels in Cambridge. At the moment this is TBC (as it'll depend on numbers) but we will try our best!

Various optional activities will be available in the morning (some of which attract an additional charge), including punting, walking to the Orchard at Grantchester, and library & museum tours. Participants are also free to enjoy the delights of Cambridge under their own steam, or to travel to explore St Albans. In the late morning coaches will be provided to take Festival attendees to St Albans for the rehearsal and performance of Haydn's Creation. After the concert there will be a reception for choir directors, Schola representatives and vocal soloists.

Attendees are free to leave at their own convenience, but there will be the opportunity to sing a final piece and purchase memorabilia before departing.