Inclusive Evensong service returns to Salisbury Cathedral

Following the success of Evening Songs 2016, which attracted a congregation of over 700 people, La Folia returns to Salisbury Cathedral this summer to present another innovative Evensong service.

Evening Songs 2019 is a creative collaboration between La Folia, Exeter House Special School, Wiltshire College & University Centre, Salisbury Cathedral School and Salisbury Cathedral.

Cathedral choristers and students from Exeter House Special School, Exeter House Vocational Centre and Wiltshire College & University Centre have joined together to devise a new Evensong service that represents each young person’s highly individual response to the Christian Liturgy.

This ground-breaking church service will be sung by the composers themselves in Salisbury Cathedral at 5.30pm on Tuesday 9 July, 2019.

La Folia have been invited back to the Cathedral to present Evening Songs 2019 following widespread enthusiasm for the 2016 project. Speaking about the trail-blazing service Canon Anna Macham, Canon Precentor of Salisbury Cathedral said:

‘I know my predecessor, Canon Tom Clammer, felt Evening Songs was one of the most important things we have done at the Cathedral. It brought a fresh voice to familiar liturgy that proved unique and transformative, and I feel fortunate to be able to share in this joyful and exuberant act of worship.’

The Evening Songs 2019 project is led by La Folia’s artistic director Howard Moody, alongside tenor Mark Padmore, soprano Charlotte Shaw and Salisbury Cathedral Lay Vicars. Visual artist Susan Francis has worked with Exeter House pupils to create designs for an order of service to guide the congregation through what might well be an unfamiliar Evensong experience.

The Evening Songs concept grew from Magna Songs, La Folia’s special needs project performance in Salisbury Cathedral in July 2015. Ian Wicks of Salisbury Cathedral School wanted to share something of the Magna Songs experience with the choristers, which led La Folia Artistic Director Howard Moody to explore a long-held dream: pupils from Exeter House and the Cathedral School devising words and composing music together for Evensong. This year, the project has expanded to include students at Wiltshire College & University Centre, some of whom are former Exeter House students.

Evening Songs 2019 has been funded by the following individuals and organisations: Arts Council England; The Arts Society Wylye Valley; The Girdlers’ Company Charitable Trust; Golsoncott Foundation; Anton Jurgens Charitable Trust; Irwin Mitchell; Salisbury Cathedral; The Geoff and Fiona Squire Foundation; Michael Tippett Musical Foundation; Verdon Smith Charitable Trust; Wallace Curzon Charitable Trust; Wiltshire Music Connect; Individual supporters of the Evening Songs crowdfunder campaign and La Folia’s the singing trust