Cathedral Choirs set to begin UK tour

MUSIC NEWS

Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria, BC

Performance or Pilgrimage?

On Tuesday, our choir sets off on their second UK-cathedral residency. In this piece, Dean Jonathan Thomas reflects on the meaning of this trip.

As our Vicar, Director and Assistant Director of Music Ministry, Cathedral Choir, and young choristers embark on their summer engagements leading worship at St Paul’s Cathedral in London and Lincoln Cathedral, it is worth reflecting on what kind of trip this is. Is it group pilgrimage or a musical performance tour?

There is a long, beneficial history of both of those types of travel. Pilgrims have been connecting to God at holy sites for centuries and using that experience to draw closer to the divine and inform their vocation, and our very cathedral has been edified by touring musical performances from Siglo de Oro to VOCES8. However, the simpler and more apt description of this summer’s UK choir tour is simply ministry.

Our cathedral is sending our musical staff, clergy, and trained choristers to lead worship, specifically the daily office of Choral Evensong, in other churches. This is not significantly different from when the dean goes out to lead worship at other parishes. They are not simply going to observe beauty in other grand cathedrals but to create it, and to glorify God through that melodic creation. They are not only praying in holy sites but leading prayer, and through that connecting us to the worldwide Anglican Communion of which we are one, small, constituent part. They are making sure that our liturgical traditions and worshipping heritage are upheld in centers of Anglican ecclesial life at the highest standard, while instilling that discipline in the next generation as they practice it.

Cathedrals are meant to be centers of education and liturgical excellence and both of those ministries are being lived out by our musicians as the embark on this UK choir tour. May they serve the communities to which they travel faithfully and prayerfully, connecting us in common prayer across time and space. May they call others to worship the Lord in the beauty of God’s holiness and return to us inspired by the Spirit to do the same here. And may they go with our prayers, support, and thanks for living out Christ Church Cathedral’s mission and values in all aspect of their journey.

The Very Rev'd Jonathan Thomas

Dean and Rector, Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria

How can I get more information

In last week's newsletter, Director of Music Donald Hunt wrote about the shape of the tour and hoped-for outcomes. You can read that post here. The choir is looking forward to sharing photos and stories from their experiences singing in two of the great cathedrals in the UK: Lincoln Cathedral, and St Paul's Cathedral, London via daily updates. You can check this website for daily updates or sign up for the daily newsletter here:

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How can I hear the choir before they depart?

This year’s Summer Recital Series opens Sunday, July 5 at 2pm, with our very own Cathedral choirs. Sixty voices raised in song will showcase repertoire for their upcoming. Featuring staples of the Anglican choral tradition, this concert will span multiple centuries from early English music by Thomas Tallis and Adrian Batten to contemporary music by Canadian composer Stephanie Martin. Under the direction of Donald Hunt, this is a rare opportunity to hear the Young Choristers, Youth Choir, and Cathedral Choir together in concert!

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Sunday Summertime Afternoons

CCC's long-running Summer Recital Series at a new time

Experience a summer filled with music as the much-anticipated Summer Recital Series returns to Christ Church Cathedral. Held on Sunday afternoons at 2pm in July and August, this series promises to be a musical delight for classical music enthusiasts in Victoria. The cathedral will welcome local and international musicians displaying artistry across a wide range of musical styles and instruments. From pianists to wind players, string musicians to the cathedral’s own sixty-voice choir, each concert will offer a unique experience, transporting listeners into the world of classical music!

Now in its 64th season, this longstanding recital series is a cornerstone of Victoria’s summer music scene. Showcasing exquisite chamber music in the vast and resonant space of Christ Church Cathedral, these summer concerts draw audience members from near and far. This year’s lineup has something for everyone and promises to appeal to both newcomers and seasoned concertgoers.

Highlights include performances by past and current members of the Victoria Symphony and the return of renowned pianist Sarah Hagen, who will explore the beauty and gift of water through luscious melodies by Chopin, Liszt, and others. Also returning are internationally acclaimed duos, Falko Steinbach and Cármelo de los Santos, on piano and violin, and Alexandra Roedder and Nancy Lee Harper, on cello and piano. These seasoned collaborators will captivate listeners with rich harmonies that weave seamlessly through time and space.

“Christ Church Cathedral is thrilled to welcome back these musical powerhouses who charmed audiences in previous concerts,” says Donald Hunt, Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral.

“We’re also excited to welcome new artists,” continues Hunt, “including Ukrainian bandura players Georgiy Matviyiv and Mariia Smolinska. It’s always a pleasure to open the cathedral doors to newcomers who bring artistry, creativity, and fresh perspectives into our midst.”

The Summer Recital Series offers a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself into the world of classical music under the beautiful gothic arches of Christ Church Cathedral. A total of nine concerts will be held each Sunday at 2.00pm from July 5th to August 30th. Admission to the concerts is by donation, allowing attendees to contribute according to their own means and supporting the continuation of this cherished chamber music series.

Full Program

A Joyful Send-Off!

Sunday, July 5, 2026, 2.00pm

The Choirs of Christ Church Cathedral

Donald Hunt, Director of Music

Mark McDonald, organist

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Une soirée d’été

Sunday, July 12, 2026, 2.00pm

Keith MacLeod, clarinet

Jeremy Potts, violin

Julian Vitek, violin

Jessica Pickersgill, viola

Amy Laing, cello

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Of Water I Sing!: A Celebration of Oceans and Rivers

Sunday, July 19, 2026, 2.00pm

Sarah Hagen, piano

A short conversation with Sarah Hagen and Brad Proctor, Executive Director of the Gorge Waterway Action Society, will follow the performance. Audiences can also visit presentation tables by the Gorge Waterway Action Society and the free community sharing hub Creatively United for the Planet, both before and after the concert.

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A Ukrainian Showcase

Sunday, July 26, 2026, 2.00pm

Georgiy Matviyiv, bandura

Mariia Smolinska, bandura

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Exuberance

Sunday, August 2, 2026, 2.00pm

Monica Pfau, piano

Brian Yoon, cello

Arin Sarkissian, flute

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Home Is Where the Heart Is

Sunday, August 9, 2026, 2.00pm

Elizabeth Humphries, mezzo-soprano

Stuart Orme, baritone

Wendy Stofer, piano

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Romance and Rhythm from the Continent

Sunday, August 16, 2026, 2.00pm

Simon Farintosh, guitar

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Phoenix Rising

Sunday, August 23, 2026, 2.00pm

Alexandra Roedder, cello

Nancy Lee Harper, piano

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Virtuous and Magical

Sunday, August 30, 2026, 2.00pm

Falko Steinbach, piano

Cármelo de los Santos, violin

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Liturgical Music this Week

**Please note that Sunday mornings are 10.30 a.m. combined services through September 6.**

Sunday July 5

10.30 a.m. Cathedral Eucharist*

Prelude: Peeters Aria

Voluntary: Peeters Festival Voluntary

4.00 p.m. Evening Prayer with Organ and Hymn*

Prelude: Vierne Arabesque

Organ Meditation: Dale Wood Prelude on New Britain

Voluntary: Boëllmann Prière à Notre Dame

Please note: The Cathedral Choir is on holiday until after Labour Day weekend. Watch for information about Evensong guest choirs in August.

For our full Worship & Music listing, visit our website.

*Livestreamed online

Also coming up this summer...

Sing the North Festival

A Baroque Celebration

Saturday, August 8, 2.00 p.m.

Choral legend Howard Dyck leads the 100-voice Sing the North Festival Chorus & Orchestra in three great works by Handel: the energetic and youthful Dixit Dominus, the moving Utrecht Jubilate Deo and the famous Coronation Anthem, Zadok the Priest, heard round the world as the pinnacle musical celebration at the crowning of King Charles III.

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The Choir of Merton College, Oxford

Labour Day, Monday, September 7, 2.30 p.m.

Described by Gramophone as “one of the UK’s finest choral ensembles”, the Choir of Merton College is known as one of the most exciting University choirs in the UK. In addition to singing in the thirteenth century Chapel during term, an extensive touring schedule has seen the choir perform in the USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Sweden. Conducted by Benjamin Nicholas, this hour-long concert will focus on English choral music from Orlando Gibbons to Matthew Martin, featuring Edward Bairstow’s “Blessed City, heavenly Salem” and Herbert Howells’ “Take him, earth, for cherishing.”

Admission is "Pay what you can."

We recommend that you register in advance.

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