Choristers launch musical fundraiser

Norwich Cathedral has teamed up with the Friends of Cathedral Music and 269 choristers across the country to create a special lockdown recording of the song Sing Forever to raise funds for the Cathedral Choirs’ Emergency Fund.

With singing currently not allowed in public worship due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it is difficult to know when choirs will once again be able to perform in Cathedrals, and the fund aims to raise £1m to support Cathedral choirs.

Norwich Cathedral’s Master of Music Ashley Grote has created the beautiful new arrangement of Robert Prizeman’s song Sing Forever, and singers Aled Jones and Elizabeth Watts have also joined in the recording which has been released today.

Aled Jones said: “It was a pleasure to be able to help with this brilliant project. Many choral foundations face an uncertain future so I hope this song will inspire listeners and viewers to support the Emergency Fund.”

The recording has been produced and edited by Norwich Cathedral’s assistant organist George Inscoe and features BBC Young Choristers of the Year Anna Haestrup and William Miles-Kingston among the 269 choristers nationwide taking part.

International opera singer and Norwich Cathedral ex-chorister Elizabeth Watts said: “Singing is a massive part of the spiritual life of the nation and cathedrals provide the bedrock of choral singing plus top notch training for so many young people. I hope Sing Forever inspires people to support cathedrals to do exactly that in these difficult times.”

Friends of Cathedral Music Chairman Peter Allwood said ‘This song sums up perfectly how choristers and choir directors feel at the moment. They face huge uncertainly as to when choirs will be heard again in our great cathedrals. Without sung services, and without tourism, cathedrals will struggle to rebuild their income, and no longer be able to sustain the same level of musical excellence. We hope that the emergency appeal will be able to help in this time of need. We are hugely grateful to the team at Norwich Cathedral for steering this project and to all the young choristers who have taken part.’

The Cathedral Choirs Emergency Fund was launched in April by the Friends of Cathedral Music and the Ouseley Church Music Trust, and the Choir Schools’ Association has since joined the partnership.