Cathedral Visits

For as long as I can remember our choir had visited Lincoln Cathedral to sing Choral Evensong annually in January, and when I took over in 1981 this custom continued. 

Recordings of some of our Cathedral visits can be found in the section 'Recordings'.

As far as my memory can recall, and recordings show, this is a complete record of all our Cathedral visits since 1981:-


Memories of some of our visits ....

Salisbury and Winchester Cathedrals

With the planning of a choir camp to Swanage in the summer of 1982 we discussed the possibility of singing at Salisbury Cathedral and Winchester Cathedral. 

The precentors at both venues invited our choir to visit to sing Evensong, and so we sang at one Cathedral on Tuesday 17th August, and the other on Wednesday 18th August. 

David Bishop was our organist on both days, and stayed with us overnight at the camp in Swanage.  Everyone was awoken in the middle of the night by a tremendous crashing sound.  On investigation we discovered that David, the organist, had gone into the mess tent to get a drink of water, and in the dark had knocked over a table holding all of the cutlery.  The next morning the boys had to pick them all out of the mud, and wash everything before we could have breakfast...

Having (presumably) made good impressions at both Cathedrals, we were invited back the following year to sing once again.  This time we sang for two consecutive days at Winchester Cathedral - Tuesday and Wednesday.  The senior gentleman stayed the nights in various places, and joined us during each day.

Winchester 1983

Photos outside Winchester Cathedral, and in the Bishop's garden.

Francis Hanson, and his wife at the time, Julia Hanson, also jooined us at a cafe for lunch in Winchester.  Julia always reminded me of the character 'Mrs Bucket (Bouquet)', ... and whilst eating lunch in the cafe remarked, 'Francis we shall have to go soon, as I can't possibly use the toilet in here...' to which Francis retorted in a droll voice, 'Why? It's not a plank with a hole in, is it?'

In 1986 we once again sang at Winchester Cathedral for two consecutive days.  This time one of our choir parents, George, drove a mini bus from Spalding to bring our robes, and to bring other choirmembers who wanted to sing but were not taking part in the choir camp.  On the Tuesday night we all slept in a Quaker Meeting House - everyone sleeping on floors in sleeping bags. This time the organist was Mark Lee, who spent much of the night in the cupboard under the stairs - talking on the phone to his girlfriend - much to the amusement of the boys.

During the night a rather eccentric lady with long white hair, who lived on the premises, would wander around us in the dark in her dressing gown- as though in a trance.  The boys thought she was a ghost - and was probably the most memorable part of the trip ...

This rather kind review appeared in a Lincoln Newspaper following our visit to sing at Lincoln cathedral in January 1983:


Visits to Liverpool and Chester Cathedrals

In early 1983 we began to plan for a weekend away to sing at Linverpool Anglican Cathedral, and at Chester Cathedral.

We would sing Evensong at Liverpool Cathedral on the Friday afternoon; Saturday would be spent sightseeing in Chester, and rehearsing for the Sunday.

At Chester Cathedral we were to sing three services - Mattins; Sung Eucharist and Evensong.

The boys were allowed to have the Friday off school and we travelled from Spalding to Liverpool - starting out early on the Friday morning.  On arrival, we had a short rehearsal time in the Cathedral - which, for those who have never been, is quite awe-inspiring.  The choirstalls are wide apart, and the acoustics are incredible.

The service was accompanied on the organ by one of the team of organists, as visiting organists were not permitted. As it was soon after Easter, we included the Easter Anthem 'Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem' - and anthem no longer in our repertoire.

Singing in Liverpool Cathedral was a great experience, although somewhat difficult - as we only had a very short time to become accostomed to the surroundings.

A short cine film during our weekend in Chester follows.

The clips show:

Photos in Chester and Liverpool - April 1983

That night we stayed in a Quaker Meeting House in Chester - again sleeping in various rooms in sleeping bags on floors.  Mark Sanderson, who lived nearby, was going to bring the milk for breakfast the following morning.

That night some of the young men took advantage of the hospitality around Chester, and some came back rather the worse for wear. (That was in the days when it seemed ok - and somewhat clever - to drink alcohol in a pub before reaching a certain age, and was only thought of as a prank, rather than illegal.)

My mum, Betty, spent quite a bit of Friday night holding a bucket - something that those involved (i.e. having their head in the bucket ..) still remember to this day..

The following morning everyone was up and ready for breakfast - and waiting for Mark to bring the milk.  Unfortunately he was not all that well, and slept in.  Not knowing his address there was little we could do, and he was not answering the phone.  Eventually he arrived and breakfast was eaten ..

I don't remember much else about the Saturday, apart from rehearsing in Chester Cathedral quite a lot in the evening - as we had three services to prepare for. That meant that Saturday night was a much more sedate affair, following the antics of the previous night - everyone was well-behaved, and we were all up in good time on the Sunday morning.

At Chester we sang two services back-to back - Mattins followed by Sung Eucharist.

We then sang Evensong in the afternoon, before making the journey back to Spalding.

As far as I remember David Bishop accompanied us on the organ for all three services at Chester.

The whole weekend had been a very enjoyable, and somewhat eventful trip.  Thank you to Mark Sanderson for making this experience possible.

We also sang at Peterborough Cathedral in September 1983, and again in October 1985. These photos were taken in 1983.


In 1984 I wrote to the Precentor at St. Paul's Cathedral in London to enquire whether our choir might be of a suitable standard to sing Evensong.  I was delighted when we received a reply saying 'Yes' - and the date was arranged for late April 1984.

We set off by coach early in the morning - and looking back - I cannot image how we managed to fit everything in that day.

On arrival, the coach parked reasonably near the Cathedral in a coach park, and we all walked with robes and music into St Paul's Cathedral by the main west doors.  We were then shown down to the Crypt into a rehearsal room where we left our robes etc.  After a brief rehearsal in the crypt, we then had our packed lunches, and set off by Underground Tube to the London Dungeon.  Most of the group were fascinated and entralled by the experience, although one or two younger members were understandably slightly scared...

We then went back to St. Paul's where we rehearsed in the choir stalls - with David Bishop, our organist for the day.

Following a snack, the choir then sang Evensong - including Wood in F, and How Lovely are thy Dwellings Fair, by Brahms.

This was a most memorable occasion for us all.

In 1986 we once again arranged visits to sing on two consecutive days at Winchester Cathedral.  Additional singers who were not camping with us at Swanage came up in a minibus, and the following cine clip shows us all in Winchester enjoying fish and chips.

It is great to see a very short clip of Martin Wheatley ( in dark blue T shirt and black trousers) who was later killed in a traffic accident when he was a young adult.

Other visits to sing Evensong during the 1980s included Norwich Cathedral in November 1985 and Ely Cathedral in March 1986.

We enjoyed a number of visits to sing at Southwell Minster. One of these was particularly memorable due to the weather.  The day was extremely hot, and after the service some of us had planned to break the journey at a Little Chef for a meal.  Whilst in the restaurant there was a terrific thunderstorm, and the place was struck by lightning.... I don't remember whether we actually got to eat anything or not, but those who were there remembered the storm ..

Below are photos taken outside Southwell Minster (possibly 1989). We think the refreshments were served in a nearby garden.

Another Cathedral visit - not sure at the moment when or where.....

Annual visits to Lincoln Cathedral continued throughout the years, but there was a break from singing elsewhere.  This was partly due to the difficulty is finding suitable dates, and also the fact that many of the men singing lower parts were not available.

Photo taken at Lincoln Cathedral

Although still very special, only three particular memories stick in my mind on our visits to Lincoln Cathedral - 

When you walk through a storm   (or drive)

Our choir was due to sing all three services (Matins, Sung Eucharist and Evensong) in Lincoln Cathedral on Sunday January 5th 1992.  The first service was due to start at 9.30am, and the coach left Spalding at 8am. It was going to be a long day ...  The previous night there had been a storm, with verfy strong winds, and when the coach reached Surfleet at about 8.15am the road was closed - due to a fallen tree.  The diversion took us down a narrow fen lane, causing great problems when oncoming traffic appeared.  Eventually we were back on our journey - but now much later than planned. We could see that the coach was not going to arrive at Lincoln by 9am, as planned, it was more likely to be about 9.25am. We decided that we would need to get our robes on ready, and give out the music - all on the coach prior to arrival.  We eventually arrived at 9.20am, disembarked and processed straight into the Cathedral, and into the first service - with no time for any rehearsal at all.  This service was followed by the next at 11am, with just a brief break for a snack and toilets. After lunch the boys spent an hour at a nearby indoor pool, before a short rehearsal in the Cathedral followed by Evensong.  I decided at that point that we would probably not agree to sing at 3 services in the same day ever again ...

Parking Ticket

On one occasion (possibly about 2004) we encountered a major issue with badly parked cars ...

At that time the coaches were allowed to drive around the one-way system to park at the West end of the Cathedral.

After the service we all embarked on the coach - at about 7pm, with an estimated tiome of arrival of 8pm back at The Vista. As the coach started its journey, it was discovered that a car had parked on the junction, right near the exit from the one-way system on double yellow lines.  There was no way the coach was going to get past that!  The adults all got off the coach and tried to lift and push the car - to no avail.  The police were phoned, and the operator said they would be with us eventually (not a priority)...  By now it was 8pm, and we hadn't even started our journey home.  A frantic message was sent to the vicar - who went out into the Vista to explain to parents what had happened - but we still had no time of arrival home. The coach driver decided that it might be possible, with adults guiding the coach, to back up the narrow one-way system and get out that way.  This seemed to work until we came across yet another car parked badly at the other end - and the gap was about 4" too narrow to get the coach through. The police eventually arrived and organised a tow truck to remove the original car.  In the meantime, the boys were hungry and needed the loo.  Rosamund Seal and one or two other helpers took the boys in groups to the Eastgate Hotel to use their facilities, and because the boys had been cooped up for so long on the coach, we let them have a run around on the grass outside the Cathedral's West Front.  This did not go down at all well with the local residents, who felt they had been invaded by a host of hooligans ...  The coach eventually arrived back in Spalding about 10pm.

Feeling sick?

On another occasion - on the journey home from Lincoln one particular boy (who was prone to travel sickness) had been asked to sit near the front (behind my mum) with the sick bucket nearby - just in case.  During the journey for some reason the bucket had been moved to the back of the coach. Just as we were approaching The Vista the classic dialogue could be heard, ‘Someone’s gonna be sick! ... oo’s gonna be sick?'  Rex Pitts: ‘too late, too late...’   and he was right!  It was all over my mum .. and I mean literally all over her..  Those who were there will remember that scene quite vividly, I guess.

Photo in Lincoln Cathedral -  2016

We sang at Peterborough Cathedral a number of times in recent years where we were made most welcome. 

Outside Peterborough Cathedral in June 2018.

Quite unexpectedly, we received an invitation in 2018 from one of our former curates, Frankie Lee, to see if we would like to sing at St George's Chapel, Windsor.

I had once visited the Chapel several decades ago on a school trip, and I never for one moment thought we would be considered to sing in such a prestigious place.

Preparations took place during early 2018 ready for our visit to sing Evensong on Wednesday 30th May 2018.

Coaches were booked - one for choirmembers and chaperones, and one for parents and other supporters. The logistics of the visit involved a considerable amount of paperwork, with lists of names, addresses, dates of birth - all for security purposes.   Only the choir coach would be allowed to stop outside Windsor Castle - the other coach would stop elsewhere - and parents and supporters made their own plans for the day.

Wednesday 30th May arrived - and the weather looked quite reasonable.  The coaches arrived at the visit at 9.45am, and by 10am we were off - complete with robes, music, food, football, and the sick bucket (which on this occasion wasn't needed).

On arrival in Windsor, Frankie had arranged to meet us in order to escort us through security - but when the coach pulled up, one of the security guards tried to move us on, saying that under no circumstances could we stop there.  With no mobile phone signal, I was unable to make contact with Frankie, but thankfully within a couple of minutes he had appeared - and all was well.

We were taken through the public areas, and down to the choir rehearsal room - which also had a sink, and facilities for making drinks.  Whilst the choir members had their packed lunch, I went into the Chapel to discuss the seating and processing arrangements.  Later Frankie took us all out of the Castle grounds and into a park in Windsor, where everyone could relax or play football on the grass.

On returning to the rehearsal room we robed, and had photos taken on the famous steps outside the great West Doors, and also on the grass outside the Chapel.

Following a short rehearsal, and a short break for toilets and drinkls it was time for Evensong.  Frankie sang the office, and Tim Clark played the organ. The service went as well as I could possibly have hoped, and apparently, after the service, one of the Canons remarked to Frankie that he was impressed with our singing...

The whole day had been a great success, and we arrived back at Spalding ,as planned, at about 9pm.  This is certainly one occasion that I will never forget - and had been made all the more special when we had  watched the Royal Wedding which had taken place on 19th May - only 11 days before our visit! In the weeks leading up to our visit Windsor Castle had been mentioned on the television almost every day.

Thank you to Frankie Lee for organising this trip and, of course, to all who took part - and to those who supported us.

Photos taken at St. George's Chapel, Windsor in May 2018

Following our successful visit to Windsor in 2018, I decided to write to the Precentor at Westminster Abbey, and was invited to send a recording of the Evensong at Windsor.  As I didn't hear anything back, I then wrote to the Precentor at St. Paul's Cathedral - and immediately received a positive response, and a date was fixed for May 2019.  Two days later I heard back by email from Westminster Abbey inviting us to sing Evensong in August 2019.  I would not have chosen to sing at both venues in the same year, but it was too special an opportunity to miss!

This now meant that we had two services to prepare for, and we began straight away learning music in January 2019.

One of the biggest challenges was the rather long psalm for Westminster Abbey - Psalm 106.  We also had instructions that we must sing it exactly as set in their Westminster Abbey Psalter, and to the same chants.  So the first task was to learn the three different chants, before starting to learn the words. We rehearsed about 8 verses each week - starting in January. Alongside this we also had to learn Psalm 72 for St. Paul's Cathedral, and the rest of the music was going to be the same for both visits - Smith Responses; Stanford in C and O Thou the Central Orb (all music that was already in our repertoire).

Preparations for both visits continued until the end of April, and then during May we concentrated on perfecting the music for St. Paul's, as well as improving posture, processing and bowing.

Monday 27th May arrived - and all preparations were in place. Three coaches arrived at The Vista in good time, and everyone arrived and made their way to their allocated coach - A, B or C.

Stopping at a service station on the way, we arrived near London in very good time.  However, the last few miles took a very long time as many roads were closed for road works, and other events (as it was a Bank Holiday).  At last we arrived at St. Paul's, and we were allowed to park the coaches on the North side of the Cathedral, adjacent to the side entrance door.  Choir members and chaperones were escorted through the door which led through the underground coffee shop and into the crypt.  The verger took us all to the rehearsal room, which had a locked door  - opened with a key code.  He opened the door for us and told me the code, which I promptly forgot...  He then wanted to take me up to the chancel to see the logistics for seating the choir.  In the meantime David Jones organised everyone in the rehearsal room, and spent time singing parts of the music through.

Having finished my meeting with the vergers, who were all extremely helpful and accommodating, I made my way back to the rehearsal room. I got completely lost, and ended up on the wrong side of the Cathedral! I had to go back to the vergers' office to get directions.

I then took the choir up to the chancel for the rehearsal, and I think that everyone, including myself were slightly mesmorised by the size and scale of the building - and the number of people there.  Tim Clark had been allowed only a short time to practice on the organ, and I had already decided that we wonly wanted to rehearse parts of the music - so that everyone was not tired out before the service.

Georgina, one of the helpers, took the three boys who were not singing with us up to the top of the dome whilst we rehearsed, and then the choir had a photo taken in front of the Altar.

Having climbed up the dome ..

Time for a very quick snack and a drink, then it was time for Evensong.  Processing out, and seeing so many hundreds of people watching us must have been quite scarey for some of the younger boys, but they took it all in their stride, and Evensong went without a hitch - apart from one tiny fault in one verse of the psalm where the organ got slightly out of time with the choir. We processed out, and the choir memebers were thanked for leading the singing, and for their professionalism.  Following more drinks, we packed our robes and made our way out through waht seemed a maze of corridors through the crypt and out to the coaches.  We had a good journey home, and stopped on the way for a short toilet break at the Services.  Once again it had been a splendid occasion - and one that I shall never forget.

St. Paul's Cathedral

Photos taken at St. Paul's Cathedral - May 2019

Westminster Abbey

Preparations for our very special visit on Tuesday 13th August 2019 were complete, and three Cropley Coaches arrived in The Vista at 9.30am, ready for us all to board.  We set off exactly at 10am as planned.  The journey to London was broken with a stop at the Services for lunch and a drink.  On arrival at Westminster Abbey, Tim Clark met us with official wristbands for all choir memebrs and chaperones to wear.  We were thenh escorted to the upstairs rehearsal roo, where drinks and a variety of snanks had been provided for us to enjoy throughout the day.

Leaving the choir to rehearse sections of Psalm 106 again with David Jones, I went to meet with our organist for the day - Richard Hills.  The verger and Richard went through the logistics of the service, and organised the seating for all choir members.  Richard then went up to the practice room to meet the choir and rehearse various difficult verses of the psalm...  Choir members then had time for a quick look around the Abbey, before returning to the rehearsal room to robe. We then had 20 minutes rehearsal time in the choir stalls with the organ, and with the cantor who was singing the responses.

After a short break, it was time to get robed ready for Evensong.  We waited in the cloisters for the verger to give us the cue to line up.  There followed the vestry prayer and we were off - processing around the West end of the Nave, past the tomb of the Unknown Warrier, then up the Nave, through the stone screen and into the Quire.  Seeing so many people standing to watch us process in - and thinking of the honour of singing in this amazing building where so many Royal events had taken place - it didn't as if it was actually happening - more like a dream.

Once I reached the conductor's stand, and the choir was in place, everything went according to plan with no hitches whatsover.  With Richard accompanying our singing so effectively on the organ - even Psalm 106 was performed in a truly meaningful way - Evensong over, we were allowed a photograph in front of the High Altar, and then it was time for the journey home - again stopping briefly at the Services for a short break.

All our supporters from Spalding felt very proud of the choir - and of course - so did I.  All our months of hard work and preparation had been worthwhile.  We had now experienced three 'one-in-a-lifetime' opportunities within 15 months.  There are not many people in the world who will ever have had the opportunity to sing at St. George's Chapel, Windsor; St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.  I hope that all those involved will remember those occasions for many years to come.  I doubt that we will ever sing all of Psalm 106 again ....

Grateful thanks for everyone who made this occasion possible - singers, Richard Hills, our chaperones and supporters - from all different congregations in our church - and many other people as well. I also thank all the staff at Westminster Abbey for making us so very welcome.

Photos taken at Westminster Abbey - August 2019

The next Cathedral visit that had been planned for May 2020 was to Lincoln Cathedral - but unfortunately this had to be cancelled due to coronavirus ...  Hopefully there may be more Cathedral visits in the future - we will just have to wait and see.