Abbey Singers

24/06/2025

It is with great sadness that we announce our Farewell Concert, which will be the last performance by the Abbey Singers after over 60 years of fruitful music-making in Cumbria and further afield.

Both our wonderful Musical Director and Accompanist are moving on and this, along with various pressures and challenges common to many choirs, has meant that our Summer Concert in 2025 is a natural 'end point' for our choir.

We are very much looking forward, however, to offering a concert of favourites, old and new, from previous Abbey Singers programmes. This will take place in St James Carlisle on Tuesday 8th July at 7.30pm. Admission is free, and we will be delighted to see as many people as possible there as we celebrate the Abbey Singers and all that it has meant, and will continue to mean, to so many people in Carlisle, Cumbria and beyond.

If you can help us to spread the word about this concert, especially to former members for whom we may no longer have contact details, and who might wish to attend in the audience, we would be most grateful.

Enquiries to [email protected]

19/01/2025

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for our 'Come and Sing' Mozart Requiem yesterday 🙌

We were THRILLED to have SEVENTY people singing with us (in addition to Abbey Singers members), and we managed to squeeze in a good audience for the performance too!

If you took part and enjoyed the day, we do hope you'll consider joining us again.
Post your suggestions for next year's 'Come and Sing' repertoire below...

Thanks to Messrs Aspin and Rigg for the photos 📸


St James Carlisle

04/01/2025

Join the Abbey Singers as we spend a day preparing and performing Mozart’s famous Requiem. Following the huge success of our 2024 Come and Sing (Faure’s Requiem), we are delighted to once again present a full day of choral music-making in Cumbria:

Singers can book by writing to us at [email protected], or via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/come-and-sing-mozarts-requiem-tickets-1093644974559

The performance will take place on Saturday 18th January 2024 in St James’ Church, Denton Holme, Carlisle (CA2 5PD). With registration from 10am, two rehearsal sessions (which will include breaks) will take place from 10.30am to 12.30pm, and from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Light refreshments will be provided during the breaks, but singers are asked to bring a packed lunch. The performance will begin at 5pm.

Our Musical Director is Jonathan Millican, who in recent years has skilfully and enthusiastically led us in performing Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man, Will Todd’s Mass in Blue and Faure’s Requiem. Under Jonathan’s expert direction, the choir will be accompanied by David T Shingler.

We’ll be delighted to have as many singers as possible join us for this special occasion – and, of course, we’d welcome an audience too! There is a small charge of £10 per singer to help cover costs (music hire, venue etc.), and admission for the audience is free (though donations are welcome).

Booking for singers is not required, but strongly encouraged. (Booking for audience members is not required.)

St James Carlisle

Come and Sing with the Abbey Singers as we perform Mozart's Requiem .

14/12/2024

We're very much looking forward to this year's Christmas concert by our friends the Solway Singers tomorrow evening. They'll be collaborating with the Border Concert Band and Cumwhinton Primary School Choir in what promises to be a roaring Christmas celebration! 🎶🎄

07/12/2024

Thank you, Solway Singers! 😊 Tonight's the night 👇

Another amazing Christmas Concert date for your diaries... 'Tis the Season for wonderful music that's for sure! We hope the preparations for this are going really well and wishing you all the best of luck for a brilliant evening Abbey Singers! 😀 🎄 🎶

30/11/2024

We're very excited about this too 🤩

23/11/2024

Two weeks to go until our Christmas Concert! ✨

We’re very much looking forward to performing a new carol, In Nativitate Laboras, composed by our musical director Jonathan Millican, with words by Tim Popple, as well as Carlisle’s own Christmas cantata - ‘The Holy Birth’ by F W Wadely.

There’ll also be carols for choir and audience as part of our ever-popular Carol Raffle. 🎶

Saturday 7th December 2024 - St James Carlisle, Denton Holme, Carlisle CA2 5PD (7.30pm).

05/11/2024

Rehearsals for our Christmas concert are well underway! 😁🎄

On 7th December we’ll be performing a Christmas cantata which belongs to Carlisle in a unique way: ‘The Holy Birth’ was composed in 1945 by F W Wadely, who was Organist and Master of the Choristers at Carlisle Cathedral (1910-1960), in collaboration with Cyril Mayne, the then Dean of Carlisle, who wrote and selected the words.

On top of that, the concert will feature one of the first performances of a new carol (‘In Nativitate Laboras’) recently composed by our Musical Director Jonathan Millican with words by Mr T E Popple (of In Quires and Places Where They Meme) followed by our ever-popular carol-raffle (including carols for choir and audience - but not Hark the Herald!).

Venue: St James Carlisle, Denton Holme, Carlisle CA2 5PD (7.30pm).

20/07/2024

And if you're on the bell tower tours, you might even hear us rehearsing in the cathedral!😁

There are still a few tickets left for our concert in the Fratry (1.15pm today): www.carlislecathedral.org.uk/tickets

An exciting day lies ahead at Carlisle Cathedral, what will you be joining us for?

🌟 Services at 9am, 12.30pm and 3pm
🌟 Bell Tower Tours at 10am, 11am, 1.30pm and 2.30pm - limited tickets may be available from the Gift Shop
🌟 FREE live music from the Abbey Singers at their concert at 1.15pm in the Fratry Hall, followed by Choral Evensong at 3pm
🌟 Carlisle Cathedral Cafe open from 8.30am - 4pm for all your refreshment needs!

We look forward to welcoming you!

14/07/2024

We're very excited 😁

The next event in our Free Live Music Series takes place on Saturday 20 July, as we welcome the Abbey Singers for not one, but two, performances.

They will perform a free concert in the Fratry Hall at 1.15pm, followed by Choral Evensong in the Cathedral at 3pm.

Booking is advised for the concert, and free tickets can be reserved at www.carlislecathedral.org.uk/tickets. There is no requirement to book for Evensong.

We look forward to welcoming The Abbey Singers and hope you can join us.

13/07/2024

We're officially on the poster-board!

Next Saturday (20th July) the Abbey Singers will be heading to ‘the Abbey’ (cathedral grounds) to perform a selection of jazzy favourites in the Fratry at Carlisle Cathedral as part of the lunchtime concert series.

Booking is recommended: www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/58941

See you there!