Festival EVENTS
Monday 10th - Friday 14th August
Our Festival is jam-packed with concerts, services, talks, tours, and all sorts of activities - even an owl flying experience! Members of the public can use this page to view Festival events and book their tickets.
(Exclusive discounts and private events for Festival participants will be communicated separately - Festival participants need not book anything through this page.)
Monday
The Monastic Hours
Candlelit Vespers
8.45pm, Clare College Chapel
Join us for a comforting evening service of Vespers to send us peacefully to sleep on the first night of our Festival. Sung by leading university choir Cambridge Schola, this service will include a selection of motets and gregorian chant. This service is free to attend. You are welcome to turn up at the door, or you can register your place through Eventbrite below.
The Monastic Hours, also known as the Canonical hours, are the daily cycle of services and prayers sung by Christian monks living in a monastery. This is usually nine, ten, or even more services in a single day, including some very early in the morning and some very late at night.
For our Festival, we have partnered with Cambridge Schola to offer a selection of these services throughout the week, including evening services of Vespers and Compline, and morning services of Mattins, Lauds, Terce and Sext.
These services take place in a variety of beautiful churches and historic college chapels throughout the city, with motets and plainsong sung by Cambridge Schola.
All of these services are free to attend. You can register to attend through our Eventbrite ticketing service, or you can simply turn up and walk in.
tuesday
The Monastic Hours
Mattins
8.00am, Michaelhouse
For the early birds, we present an uplifting morning service of Mattins. Sung by leading university choir Cambridge Schola, this service will include a selection of motets and gregorian chant. This service is free to attend. You are welcome to turn up at the door, or you can register your place through Eventbrite below.
Singing Teacher Showcase
Song recital by Helen Groves and James Oldfield
1.30pm, St Botolph’s Church
Two of our renowned singing teachers, Helen Groves and James Oldfield present a varied programme of song, accompanied on the piano by Festival Director Alexander Trigg. This recital promises to be spectacular, in the beautiful central Cambridge church of St Botolph. Book your ticket now through Eventbrite below.
Choral Workshop
With BBC Singers conductor Owain Park
3.00pm, Emmanuel College Chapel
Owain Park, Director of The Gesualdo Six and Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Singers leads our Festival Choir on a musical journey of discovery on this choral workshop in Emmanuel College Chapel, designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
Owl Flying Experience
With Hawkeye Falconry
4.00pm & 5.20pm
Queens Building Lecture Theatre, Emmanuel College
Experience all the magic of these majestic birds inside a large and lofty lecture theatre! Festival of Choirs is delighted to be welcoming Hawkeye Falconry for this unique event, which promises great fun for all the family! The experience will run twice - at 4.00pm and 5.20pm, and will last 50 minutes. We anticipate it will be popular, so book quickly!
The Gesualdo Six
The Vaults of Time
7.30pm, Trinity College Chapel
Renowned vocal ensemble The Gesualdo Six return to the Chapel where they were founded, presenting a programme entitled "The Vaults of Time." Join The Gesualdo Six in Cambridge for a stunning concert, featuring a programme of music from Medieval and Renaissance composers, including Josquin, Gesualdo, Hildegard and Machaut. Vaults of Time explores early sacred choral music shaped by chant, cantus firmus, and isorhythm: compositional techniques that mirror the proportion, structure, and resonance of the medieval architecture that inspired them. Alongside these works, the ensemble performs music by Carlo Gesualdo, including selections from his haunting Tenebrae Responsories. Set within the glorious acoustic of Trinity College, Cambridge this promises to be a deeply atmospheric musical experience.
wednesday
The Monastic Hours
Lauds
8.00am, Emmanuel College Chapel
An early morning service of Lauds. Sung by leading university choir Cambridge Schola, this service will include a selection of motets and gregorian chant. This service is free to attend. You are welcome to turn up, or you can register your place through Eventbrite below.
The Festival Choir
In concert
11.30am, St Botolph’s Church
Members of the Festival Choirs perform a mixed concert programme in the historic church of St Botolph. Programme to include music by Mozart, Fauré, Vaughan Williams and more!
Music of Hope and Consolation
J.S. Bach - Solo works for Violin and Cello
1.15pm, Emmanuel College Chapel
Violinist Harriet Mackenzie and cellist Graham Walker peform two of J.S. Bach's most famous and iconic works for solo strings, the Partita No. 2 in D Minor for solo violin, and the Suite No. 1 for solo cello.
Flute and Piano Recital
Flautist Danielle Walker and Pianist Alexander Robson
9.00pm, Benson Hall, Magdalene College
Join rising star flautist Danielle Walker and her talented accompanist Alexander Robson for a magical evening of chamber music in Magdalene College‘s Benson Hall. Danielle and Alexander present an eclectic and vibrant programme.
The Monastic Hours
Compline
10.00pm, Corpus Christi College Chapel
Prepare for bedtime with a soothing evening service of Compline in the beautiful chapel of Corpus Christi College. Sung by leading university choir Cambridge Schola, this service will include a selection of motets and gregorian chant. This service is free to attend. You are welcome to turn up at the door, or you can register your place through Eventbrite below.
thursday
The Monastic Hours
Prime
8.00am, Pembroke College Chapel
The early morning office of Prime, in one of Cambridge’s finest chapels, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Sung by leading university choir Cambridge Schola, this service will include a selection of motets and gregorian chant. This service is free to attend. You are welcome to turn up at the door, or you can register your place through Eventbrite below.
Vocal Masterclass
With Alex Ashworth, Professor at the Royal Academy of Music
10.30am,
Queens Building Lecture Theatre, Emmanuel College
Professor Alex Ashworth of the Royal Academy of Music works with three of our Festival singers.
The King’s Men
Afternoon Concert
4.00pm, St Clement’s Church
Festival of Choirs proudly presents The King's Men, the world-famous Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks of King's College, Cambridge. The King’s Men will be performing a fun and varied programme for us in the beautiful church of St Clement. They are a favourite here in Cambridge (you’ll struggle to find somebody who’s never been to one of their legendary ‘Singing on the River’ concerts) so it’s a real treat that they’ll be joining us.
Jane Austen’s Music
A talk by Professor Sarah Houghton-Walker
2.00pm,
Queens Building Lecture Theatre, Emmanuel College
A fascinating talk with live music demonstrations by celebrated Professor of English and published author Sarah Houghton-Walker.
Vox Cantab
Evening Concert
8.00pm, Little St Mary’s Church
Join us for an evening concert by Cambridge-based vocal ensemble Vox Cantab, directed by Louisa Denby. This programme will include ‘Lamentations’ by Robert Whyte.
friday
The Monastic Hours
Terce
9.00am, Corpus Christi College Chapel
A morning service of Terce - the final office service in our Festival series. Sung by leading university choir Cambridge Schola, this service will include a selection of motets and gregorian chant. This service is free to attend. You are welcome to turn up at the door, or you can register your place through Eventbrite below.
The Gala Concert
Fauré, Vaughan Williams, Mozart, Bach, and more
7.30pm, St Mary’s Saffron Walden
The combined choirs from the inaugural Festival of Choirs, taking place in Cambridge, joins with the ever-wonderful Brandenburg Sinfonia, in a gorgeous performance of Faure's famous Requiem, alongside Vaughan Williams' Five Mystical Songs, Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus and Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. A concert of choral favourites not to be missed!