Cathedral Choir In-Residence at
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
The Cathedral Choir Residency ~ August 10-16, 2026
Choirs throughout England and America apply to sing at the many cathedrals in the United Kingdom and Europe while their choirs are on summer break.
Our choir has been approved for a week’s residence in at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, August 10-16, 2026.
It is an opportunity to spend time together, to enjoy a vibrant and famous capital city, to absorb some of the history of England, and to sing in the awe-inspiring cathedral.
We will sing daily Evensong during the week at 5 (probably with one day off), a Sung Eucharist on Saturday at 5, with Sunday services at 11.15 and 3.
The choir is travelling as a group but we very much hope that some of our congregation and friends might come to visit us while we are there!
History of St. Paul's
The Building
St Paul's is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral is one of the most famous and recognizable sights of London. Its dome, surrounded by the spires of Wren's City churches, has dominated the skyline for more than 300 years. At 365 ft high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1963. The dome is still one of the highest in the world. St Paul's is the second-largest church building in area in the United Kingdom, after Liverpool Cathedral.
The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of England. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London. Its dedication in honor of Paul the Apostle dates back to the original cathedral church on this site, founded in AD 604. The high-domed present structure, which was completed in 1710, is a Grade I listed building that was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren. The cathedral's reconstruction was part of a major rebuilding program initiated in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London. The earlier Gothic cathedral (Old St Paul's Cathedral), largely destroyed in the Great Fire, was a central focus for medieval and early modern London, including Paul's walk and St Paul's Churchyard, being the site of St Paul's Cross.
Services held in the building finished in 1710 have included the funerals of Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher; a royal thanksgiving service for the union of Great Britain; an inauguration service for the Metropolitan Hospital Sunday Fund; peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars; the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer; and the launch of the Festival of Britain. The cathedral held thanksgiving services after royal processions in the jubilees of their reigns for monarchs, George III, Victoria, George V, and Elizabeth II, and for Elizabeth's 80th and 90th birthdays. St Paul's Cathedral is the central subject of much promotional material, as well as of images of the dome surrounded by the smoke and fire of the Blitz. The cathedral is a working church with hourly prayer and daily services. The tourist entry fee at the door is £25 for adults (January 2024) but no charges are made to worshippers attending services, or for private prayer.
How You Can Help
Most of the choir members are paying for their own travel and accommodation but some of our singers are not in a financial position to be able to do that. For events such as this it is customary that the Section Leaders’ costs would also be covered. When we began to consider this trip we felt it was important that no-one should be excluded due to financial considerations, so we are in the process of raising funds to cover this.
Donations
A number of kind and generous people have already made donations to the trip. If you would like to do so, you may either send a check made payable to St. Mark’s Music Series with Choir Trip written on the memo line, or visit our website. The mailing address is:
Ray Johnston, 519 Oak Grove Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Benefit Concert
Save the Date - June 20, 2026 at 7:30 PM. We are having a concert, featuring music that you would never hear us perform on a Sunday -- think Cole Porter, Noel Coward, and Henry Mancini - as well as a silent auction. Proceeds will go towards subsidizing the trip.
Cookbook
Yes, we aren’t just singers – we’re also cooks, chefs, bakers, and bartenders. The 2026 Cathedral choir cookbook is on sale and includes recipes for breads, breakfasts, salads, appetizers, soups, drinks, hotdishes, main dishes, sauces, and desserts. For a sample of some of the recipes click here. The cookbook is available through the Bookshop.
Calendar
Not your ordinary church calendar - this one contains QR codes for all Sundays and holy days that will link you to a hymn appropriate for that day. For a sample of pages from the calendar click here. For a sample hymn soundbite click here. The cookbook is available through the Bookshop.
For questions about the St. Paul's project contact Ray Johnston.
