As Advent unfolds the Cathedral comes alive with sacred music, glowing candlelight and the spirit of giving.
This year’s celebrations are particularly special as they mark the grand finale of our 950th anniversary, a milestone for both the Cathedral and the wider community.
At the heart of the season is our 950th anniversary Match Funding for Music appeal, which aims to raise £950,000 to secure the future of our renowned choral and organ tradition. Thanks to generous match funding every pound donated will be doubled. To date we have raised £825,000 and we are keen to secure the final £125,000 to help support this living musical heritage.
A season of song and light
From the first Sunday of Advent to the Feast of Epiphany the Cathedral’s choir and organists will offer nearly 33 hours of live music across services and concerts. These include carol services, midnight mass, Advent processions and family crib services, each filled with music that lifts the heart and inspires reflection.
Highlights include:
- Advent Procession: Sunday 30 November, 18:00
- Cathedral Carol Service I: Thursday 18 December, 18:00
- Cathedral Carol Service II: Friday 19 December, 18:00
- Cathedral Carol Service III: Saturday 20 December, 15:00
- Cathedral Carol Service IV: Sunday 21 December, 15:00 (also livestreamed)
- Family Crib Service: Tuesday 24 December, 11:00 & 14:00
- Christmas Eve Evensong: Tuesday 24 December, 17:30
- Midnight Mass: Tuesday 24 December, 23:00
- Christmas Day Choral Mattins: Wednesday 25 December, 10:00
- Epiphany Procession: Sunday 4 January 2026, 18:00
All services are free to attend and everyone is warmly welcome. We do encourage donations either in person at the service or online. Each service involves considerable planning and expense and your support makes a real difference.
What it takes to make Christmas happen
More than 300 people work behind the scenes across December, contributing over 5,000 hours of planning and delivery of services, special events and concerts.
Behind the beauty of the music and the glow of the candles lies a huge amount of work. More than 300 people work behind the scenes across December including staff, clergy, musicians and volunteers. Together they contribute over 5,000 hours of planning and delivery, covering rehearsals, stewarding, flower arranging, verging, lighting, marketing, fundraising, maintenance, livestreaming and cleaning.
We receive no direct funding from the Government or the Church of England. Everything depends on the generosity of our supporters and income from hiring Cathedral spaces and other activities. Even a small gift given by many can have a lasting impact.
Why this music matters
Our 950th anniversary Match Funding for Music appeal is about more than preserving tradition. It is about investing in the future by training young choristers and organists, commissioning new music and ensuring that sacred music continues to be offered to the highest standard.
Cathedral music is a ministry in its own right. It is worship, it is welcome and it is wonder. As the Dean says, “The sound of our choir is the sound of centuries of prayer. In this 950th year we invite you to help ensure that sound continues to bless future generations.”
Christmas by the numbers
Music
• 41,400 cumulative minutes of music sung by the Cathedral choir – 23 singers each contributing 1,800 minutes
• 1,800 minutes of live music performed by our choristers, organists and lay vicars
• 120 items of music sung or played
• 30 hours of rehearsals through November and December – preparing every anthem, carol and chorus for the Christmas season
• 12 livestreamed services reaching worshippers around the world
• 1 historic organ, still in regular use after more than 360 years
Staff and Musicians
• 5,000 hours or so of behind-the-scenes planning, rehearsing and delivery by clergy, musicians, vergers, stewards and staff
• 300+ people involved in making Christmas happen – from flower arrangers to servers
• 17 choristers, 6 lay vicars and 3 organists – the musical heart of our Cathedral
Volunteers
• 106 volunteers in the Welcome Team gifting around 1,105 hours across Advent and Christmas – welcoming visitors, guiding tours and supporting retail and chaplaincy
• 58 volunteers in behind-the-scenes teams giving around 775 hours to support prayer, bell ringing, flowers, the library and creative learning
• 20 volunteers assisting weekly Cathedral services with around 190 hours of help across Sundays and children’s worship
• 135 volunteers supporting special services through Advent and Christmas - giving a total of 347 hours
• Altogether, Cathedral over 250 volunteers contribute more than 2,400 hours to make Christmas happen
Services and Visitors
• 26,000+ people visited the Cathedral over last year's festive period
• 16,000 (well, almost) people attended a service between Advent and Epiphany, last year
• 750 youngsters will be taking part in the Children’s Christmas Activity Trail
• 23 services sung by the Cathedral choir between Advent and Epiphany
• 13 carol services across December
Decorations and Materials
• 12,000 candles lit between Advent and Epiphany in services, concerts and private prayer
• 10,000 sparkling lights across our Christmas trees
• 9,000 service sheets printed
• 2 Christmas trees
Funding
• £0 in direct government or central Church of England funding – every note you hear is made possible by your generosity.
How to take part
Your support matters, whether you attend a service, donate, volunteer or help spread the word. Online gifts to the Match Funding for Music appeal are doubled until the end of March 2026. Donations made in person at services are welcome but not matched.
This Christmas be part of something lasting - a celebration that fills the Cathedral with music, warms the hearts of thousands and supports a musical tradition that has inspired generations and will continue to inspire many more.