Lichfield Cathedral Chorus has been making music in Lichfield since 1959. The Cathedral organist at the time, Dick Greening, put together a chorus of 65 singers for a performance of Handel's Messiah.

For the first 50 years it was known as  Lichfield Cathedral Special Choir - the “special” in the name deriving from the original purpose of the choir, which was to stand in for the Cathedral choir during vacations and to perform on special occasions.

The Chorus has maintained its close association with the Cathedral, with successive Cathedral Organists also taking on the role of conductor. However, it  no longer deputises for the Cathedral Choir and has grown considerably in size, now having around 120 members. To reflect these changes, in 2010 it was decided that it was time to change the name to better reflect its continuing role and Lichfield Cathedral Chorus was born.

The choir today

Ben Lamb joined us as conductor in September 2010 and the chorus continues to perform two to three concerts a year, both large scale choral works with professional orchestra and soloists, and smaller works for choir and organ.

Our annual Christmas Carol Concert with the Salvation Army Cannock Citadel Band is hugely popular.

The choir performs a wide repertoire and has also commissioned new works, such as The Coming of the Kingdom (Malcolm Archer) and Easter Oratorio (Paul Spicer).

In 2009 when Lichfield Cathedral Special Choir celebrated its 50th Anniversary it commissioned another work, Advent Oratorio by Paul Spicer.

Join the choir

We are always pleased to welcome new tenors and basses but, in order to keep balance, we sometimes have to have a waiting list for sopranos and altos. If you are interested in joining us please contact the Membership Secretary. Rehearsals usually take place in the Cathedral on Thursdays in term time from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Social and fundraising events take place throughout the year.

The Lichfield Cathedral Chorus is a member of Making Music, the national federation of music societies.