18/05/2026
MUSIC SOCIETY CHOIR TO STAGE "CHORAL GREATEST HITS" SEASON FINALE AT CHESTER CATHEDRAL.
A Chester choir is preparing to stage a concert featuring the "Greatest Hits" of church anthems, which will showcase 16 well-known choral works including pieces used at Coronations and weddings.
Chester Music Society Choir will stage the concert entitled "The Hallelujah Chorus and other Scared Anthems" in the majestic surroundings of Chester Cathedral on Saturday 23rd May at 7.30pm. They will be joined on stage by soloists from Chester Cathedral Choir and conductor Graham Jordan Eliis, accompanied by organist Graham Eccles at the Cathedral's mighty pipe organ.
Opening with Hubert Parry's glorious Anthem 'I Was Glad', used at the Coronation of every English Monarch since 1626, including that of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and King Charles III in 2023, the concert will showcase works by composers including Purcell, Vivaldi, Mozart, Brahms, Haydn, Bach, Elgar, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Handel, Hubert Parry and Sir Karl Jenkins.
The concert will include performances of several pieces which are popular at weddings, from 'Panis Angelicus' and 'Ave Verum Corpus' to 'Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring' and 'Cantique de Jean Racine'. Two pieces by living composers, 'A Gaelic Blessing' by John Rutter and 'Benedictus' by Sir Karl Jenkins, from his work 'The Armed Man' will also feature. Other works set to be performed include Purcell's 'Te Deum', 'Creation's Hymn' by Beethoven and 'Hear My Prayer' by Mendelssohn.
The evening will conclude with a performance of the world famous 'Halleuljah Chorus' from Handel's 'Messiah'. Written by George Frideric Handel in 1741, 'Messiah' was first performed in Dublin in April 1742, although, Handel famously stopped off in Chester en-route to Dublin in November 1741 when bad weather delayed his sailing from Parkgate. A hastily arranged rehearsal of 'Messiah' using choristers from Chester Cathedral was held at The Golden Falcon Inn on Northgate Street, where Centurion House now stands.
🎟️ www.chestermusicsociety.org.uk/choir-concerts
Tickets can also be purchased in-person from the Chester Cathedral Box Office.