Our Choirs
Come and listen
For centuries, choral music has been at the beating heart of our services. Join us each week where our celebrated choirs add their joyful voices to Sunday worship. Or hear their beautifully accomplished arrangements at holy days throughout the year – from Christmas Eve to Palm Sunday. And for our friends who are further afield, world-class performances are recorded and broadcast around the globe.
How to hear the Bath Abbey choirs
Whether it’s an arrangement that’s rousing or reflective, traditional or modern, listening to the pure tones of a choir within the magnificent acoustics of Bath Abbey is awe-inspiring.
You can hear our Choir perform live at the Abbey every week. The Abbey Lay-Clerks sing at Sunday morning and afternoon worship, alternating with the Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs on a fortnightly pattern.
Our Choirs been incredibly proud to sing at services in iconic cathedrals such as Exeter and Canterbury, and are often invited to perform around the world: in Bath’s twin cities in France, Germany and the Netherlands, and beyond. Closer to home, their fondest memories include sharing the stage with the Three Tenors, a Christmas Day performance with the BBC Concert Orchestra, and singing for Her Majesty The Queen.
Bath Abbey Choral Scholarships
Bath Abbey offers choral scholarships for young Altos (male or female), Tenors, and Basses. This is an exciting opportunity for talented student singers (sixth-form, college, or university) to develop their choral skills in a world-class choir and building.
Choral Scholars sing regularly alongside the Abbey’s Lay Clerks, taking part in Tuesday Evensong twice a month and in additional services and special performances throughout the year. Recent highlights include performing Stainer’s The Crucifixion.
The scholarship provides an excellent foundational experience for singers considering further choral singing; former Scholars have gone on to become deputy or full-time Lay Clerks. Choral Scholars receive a small stipend.
To discuss the role or arrange an audition, please contact the Assistant Director of Music, Adam Field, at afield@bathabbey.org.
Melody Makers: Our Children’s Choir
A wonderful first chapter for children who love to sing, Melody Makers is made for six to 11-year-olds living in and around Bath. You don’t need to know a crotchet from a quaver to join – just be excited to learn.
Inspiring, lively and above all fun, you’ll enjoy singing in the amazing setting of the Abbey. And we’ll use our experience to ignite that first spark of talent. We’ll take you through singing lessons and teach you music theory – covering lots of different music types. And along with your fellow friendly choir members, you’ll make music in the Abbey, including performing in live concerts. It’s a wonderful way to build confidence, and enhance listening and concentration skills.
If all that strikes a chord, you can join us throughout the year. Come along to a relaxed audition where we’ll play piano while you sing us one of your favourite songs. To find out more please contact office@bathabbey.org.
My child absolutely loves being part of Melody Makers! She loves the variety of songs and performing in front of live audiences, whether it’s a solo or as part of the group. Her grandparents are equally thrilled and have timed their next visit so they can watch their grandchild singing in the Abbey.
Parent of a Melody Maker.
Bath Abbey’s Chamber Choir
The Chamber Choir is Bath Abbey’s choir of auditioned volunteer singers, and is a vital part of the Abbey’s thriving music department. It was founded in 2021 to support and provide the singing at the Church Family Communion service once a month, and has since expanded to sing at other significant and memorable services, for example on Ash Wednesday, the Epiphany, and Ascension Day. Other recent highlights include trips to Bristol, Gloucester and Exeter Cathedrals.
Singing in the choir is a unique opportunity to be able to sing regularly in the glorious surroundings and acoustic of Bath Abbey. If you think this may be for you, we are always pleased to hear from singers interested in joining the choir. New members should have good sight-reading skills, and be able to commit to the choir’s schedule of a weekly Wednesday evening rehearsal, at least one Sunday morning service a month, and roughly one other service a month, the details of which are timetabled well in advance.
To arrange an audition, get in touch with Adam Field (Sub-Organist and Assistant Director of Music), who directs the choir, at afield@bathabbey.org.
THE KLAIS ORGAN
Organ Recitals
Each season brings a programme of recitals on the Abbey’s magnificent Klais organ too. These take place on summer lunchtimes, autumn evenings and throughout the spring. Each shines a spotlight on a different performer, including scholars and world-class musicians. See our what’s on section for details of our upcoming performances.
OUR CHOIRS
Contact Us
To learn more about music at Bath Abbey, please email office@bathabbey.org or call us on 01225 422462. You can buy recordings by the Choir at the Abbey Shop.
And if you’d like to audition for our Choir or learn more about our scholarships, please contact our Director of Music, Huw Williams, hwilliams@bathabbey.org.
Visiting choirs can write to the Bath Abbey Office, 9 Kingston Buildings, Bath, BA1 1LT, email office@bathabbey.org, or call +44 (0)1225 422462.
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