On Thursday 6 November, Chichester Cathedral’s Nave came alive with the sound of more than 320 pupils from 12 schools across the Diocese of Chichester.
Under the direction of Emily Barden of West Sussex Music and Charles Harrison, the Cathedral’s Organist and Master of the Choristers, the children performed a specially curated programme tracing the evolution of sacred music from the 14th to the 21st century.
The performance featured traditional and contemporary pieces – including two sung in Latin – giving the young singers and their audience an evocative experience of how worship has sounded across centuries within these ancient walls.
Ahead of the concert, the Cathedral bells rang out and organ music filled the Nave, creating a sense of occasion that set the tone for an afternoon of music, celebration, and reflection.
An ‘encore’ to Chichester950
Sing950 served as a fitting ’encore’ to a year of creative community projects to mark the Cathedral’s milestone anniversary.
“Hearing hundreds of young voices fill the Cathedral with song was incredibly moving. Sing950 perfectly captured the spirit of our anniversary year - celebrating history, creativity, and community in harmony. It was truly the encore we hoped for.”
Rosie Bradberry, Creative Learning Manager at Chichester Cathedral
Other events across the year included:
- Draw950: A monumental artwork created within the Cathedral’s historic Nave, with drawings from each century of history.
- Fish950: An installation that comprised over 950 fish-shaped artworks, contributed by 33 schools across East and West Sussex.
- Write950: A creative writing competition designed to inspire children and young people to explore the Cathedral’s fascinating history, characters and sacred spaces through the power of words.
Inspiring the next generation
Sing950 was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Friends of Chichester Cathedral, who fully funded the project to ensure participation was free and open to all schools across the Diocese.
Pupils from communities stretching from Petworth to Climping, Bognor to Slindon, and Arundel to Chichester came together in harmony - reflecting the Cathedral’s mission to make music and heritage accessible to everyone. Thanks to the generous contributions of supporters, these experiences remained free to all those who took part.
Looking ahead
This year, the Cathedral has welcomed over 6,700 children, young people and families through its doors, taking part in a diverse programme of activities inspired by its anniversary year. This includes over 2,300 pupils from schools across East and West Sussex.
Creative Learning Manager, Rosie added: “To everyone who helped make this anniversary year so special - especially the children and young people who filled the Cathedral with creativity, colour, and song - thank you. For 950 years, this Cathedral has stood as a place of welcome, worship, and community, and now it’s your turn to be part of the story. Whether you joined us this year or are only just discovering this extraordinary space, your voice matters, and we look forward to welcoming you into your Cathedral.
Keep an eye on our upcoming events via our website - there’s always something new to explore.”