The pennies have been counted, and we are delighted to announce the latest figures from our Match Funding for Music campaign. Between October and December, the third quarter of the appeal brought the total raised to £911,000 of the £950,000 target, an extraordinary result that underlines both the generosity of supporters and the central place of music in the life of the Cathedral. Thank you.
Launched in February 2025 to mark the Cathedral’s 950th anniversary year, the campaign runs until the end of March 2026 or until the full £950,000 has been claimed. Every donation continues to be doubled pound for pound by four anonymous donors, ensuring that each gift has twice the impact in securing the long-term future of the Cathedral’s music.
The final quarter of 2025 was marked by an intense period of musical activity. Between Advent and Epiphany, almost 8,000 people attended 22 services sung by the Cathedral Choir, including carol services, Midnight Mass and Choral Mattins on Christmas Day. Over 50 services featuring live music were offered during this period, with nearly 50 items of repertoire performed by choristers, lay vicars and organists. More than 300 staff and volunteers contributed around 5,000 hours behind the scenes to deliver these services, from rehearsals and liturgy to flowers, lighting and livestreaming.
The Match Funding campaign was launched earlier in the year with the choir singing a much loved hymn by John Rutter, The Lord Bless You and Keep You. As the appeal enters its final months, the Cathedral Choir has now recorded Jerusalem to mark the 110th anniversary of Hubert Parry setting William Blake’s words to music, celebrating the hymn’s deep Sussex connections.
We now hope to secure the remaining £39,000 needed to reach our £950,000 match funding target, bringing us significantly closer to our initial goal of £5 million for the Music Endowment Fund. This appeal is not only about preserving a distinguished musical tradition, but about investing in the future through the training of young choristers and organists, the commissioning of new music and the continuation of sacred music in its original setting. Any donation is warmly welcomed, particularly while contributions are still being doubled, helping us to safeguard this living musical heritage for generations to come.
Make a donation
Although the Match Funding Appeal ended at the end of March 2026, you can still make a donation to support music at the Cathedral.
To make a single gift donation via cheque, bank transfer or card payment, please download and complete this Giving Form CCPETM.docx or call us on 01243 812991 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 2pm) to make a credit card donation.
To make a regular donation for music please complete this secure online form and press Submit at the end. Your completed form will be sent securely to our office, where we will process your regular donation with our bank.
By completing this form, you agree to giving a regular donation to the Chichester Cathedral Restoration and Development Trust (Charity No. 1156729), restricted to the Chichester Cathedral Platinum Endowment Trust for Music.