Triumph in the Skies

Even after a twelve-day tour of the USA, Salisbury Cathedral Choir was still in good enough voice on to entertain British Airways passengers on their flight back from San Francisco earlier this week.

While seven miles above terra firma, the choristers sang There is a Flower, a piece they perform regularly at the Cathedral's Advent Procession, for their fellow passengers. 

When British Airways' Customer Service Leader David Noon discovered the choir was on board, he asked if they would sing for passengers to wake them up after a long night flight. The choir proved such a hit that they were then invited to perform for customers sitting in business class. As a thank you for their impromptu concert, the choristers were given a sneak-peak of the flight deck once the plane had landed at Heathrow.

British Airways' Customer Service Leader, David Noon said, “The choristers were a delight to be around and gave a wonderful performance on board our A380. It was utterly unique and I am absolutely sure it was the first time a flight has been filled with such angelic voices.”

British Airways First Officer Vincent Schoenfeld, who watched the performance said, “It's the first time I've seen a performance like this on one of my flights and something I won't forget. After their unique performance we wanted to reward them with another unforgettable experience – an invite to the flight deck on the largest aircraft in our fleet.”

The sky high performances came at the end of a busy schedule of concerts and workshops on the West Coast. Their itinerary took them to schools and churches in Stanford, San Francisco, Saratoga, Carmel, Sunnyvale and Belvedere. Downtime included a trip to the Golden Gate Bridge, the Monterey Aquarium and the Tech Museum in San Jose.

Choir Tour manager Andrea McDermott said, “It was a brilliant experience. The choir got standing ovations everywhere we went. The choir, choristers and adult singers, were great ambassadors for the Cathedral and Cathedral School - and everyone managed to have a good time as well.​

“Grace Cathedral in San Francisco was at capacity when the choir performed there, but particular highlights were the workshops the children did with other children, going into schools to share their music.”