The Salisbury Anthem

Salisbury Cathedral is inviting people to help with the celebrations by taking part in the virtual premiere of 'The Salisbury Anthem', an anthem of hope and consolation.

Originally planned as a performance in the Cathedral on Foundation Day on the 28th of April, the premiere was cancelled due to lockdown and has since been re-imagined as a virtual performance, led by the Cathedral Choir (all singing remotely) and Salisbury Cathedral Director of Music David Halls conducting (again, remotely).

Anyone can record themselves singing and join the chorus.

The project co-ordinator, Salisbury Cathedral Liturgy and Music Manager Andrea McDermott said:

“The process of taking part is relatively simple. All you need is a device that can record video, like a phone, iPad, tablet or computer, then follow the instructions that have been uploaded to the Cathedral website along with a guide soundtrack and words. You don’t have to be a fabulous singer, just someone who wants to celebrate our Cathedral, past, present and future. Every voice counts.”

Details can be found here.<https://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/news/join-our-virtual-choir-celebrate-our-cathedral-and-city

Singers just record themselves, send their recording in, and the Cathedral’s techies will do the rest.

The Salisbury Anthem will be released on 31 May as part of the Salisbury 2020 Big Weekend, a special programme of online activities created by Salisbury 2020 partners.

The Salisbury Anthem was composed by James Morgan and Juliette Pochin, using extracts from a poem by Henry D’Avranches that was written at the time the Cathedral was being built.

The refrain that our Anthem chorus will sing is below:

Happy the one who lives to see this done!
This church completed, finished with such care;
A shining effort, built for everyone;
Though built by kings, a place that all may share.

The deadline is May 17th.