Welcome to Ely Choral Society
Ely Choral Society is a flourishing mixed voice choir conducted by Andrew Parnell, one of the UK’s foremost choral conductors.
Concerts are held in Ely Cathedral and other venues locally with professional soloists and orchestras, together with musicians from the Ely and Cambridge area.
The Ely Youth Choir for Secondary-age students was launched with great success in 2010 and is aimed at young people who want to experience the fun and excitement of choral singing to public audiences.
Concerts for the 2026-27 concert season are outlined below.
2026-27 CONCERT SEASON
We are excitedly looking forward to performing four concerts in Ely during the 2026-27 concert season.
In the Ely Cathedral Octagon on Saturday 7th November 2026 at 8:00 pm we will perform a concert ‘IN REMEMBRANCE‘. Early November is the time when people in this country and beyond pay their respects to those men and women who gave their lives in war and other conflict. This concert for the eve of Remembrance Sunday includes works by John Ireland, William Harris, Elgar, Parry and Stanford, and a new setting of the Requiem by Grayston Ives. The concert will feature Sam Madden tenor, Jeremy Lloyd organ and Bonnie Scott harp and will be conducted by Andrew Parnell.
Our ‘CHRISTMAS CONCERT’, will be in St. Mary’s Church, Ely on Saturday 12th December 2026 at 7:30 pm. We present our annual family Christmas concert with its customary mixture of carols for choir and audience, and seasonal readings. The major featured work is Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit (Midnight Mass) a delightful setting based on French Christmas Carols. For many, this sell-out concert marks the start of the final run-up to Christmas but can also offer a much-needed respite from frenzied preparations! We will be accompanied by Ely Youth Choir and Jeremy Lloyd organ and the concert will be conducted by Andrew Parnell.
On Saturday 20th March 2027 we will sing ‘J S BACH’s MASS IN B MINOR’ in Ely Cathedral at 7:30 pm. After his two large settings of the Passion story, the B minor Mass is the next major work by J S Bach. The Lutheran church of his time required settings of two of the five regular movements of the Mass. In this instance, Bach added the other movements to make a complete setting of the Roman liturgy. And what a setting! It is a work of such stature, that it is rarely heard in Ely Cathedral. This is an unmissable concert full of the most glorious music by this composer! Soloists will be Bella Marslen and Charlotte Jane Kennedy sopranos, Helena Paish mezzo-soprano, James Robinson tenor and Ed Birchinall bass with the Medlock Sinfonia leader Helen Medlock and Jeremy Lloyd organ continuo. The concert will be conducted by Andrew Parnell.
Our Summer Concert will be ‘A NIGHT AT THE OPERA’ on Saturday 19th June 2027 at 7.30 pm in St. Mary’s Church, Ely. In the middle of the Ely Arts Festival, come to a sparkling evening of great choruses from the operatic stage. Settle into your seats in the stalls and listen to grand music by Bizet, Borodin, Mascagni, Mozart, Rossini, Verdi and the like with Ely Youth Choir, Jeremy Lloyd piano and conducted by Andrew Parnell.
Tickets for concerts in Ely Cathedral will be on sale from the Ely Cathedral Box Office and at http://www.elycathedral.org/events and on https://www.ticketsource.com/ely-choral-society/t-mjenmvz for concerts at St Mary’s Church, Ely.
The Covid pandemic now seems well in the past but it did give us the opportunity to do some innovative thinking to keep the choir singing! We created a small Ely Choral Society Virtual Choir by making video recordings on our mobile phones. Before it all becomes a history you can still hear our virtual choir by clicking on the following YouTube links:
Welcome to Ely Choral Society
Ely Choral Society is a flourishing mixed voice choir conducted by Andrew Parnell, one of the UK’s foremost choral conductors.
Concerts are held in Ely Cathedral and other venues locally with professional soloists and orchestras, together with musicians from the Ely and Cambridge area.
The Ely Youth Choir for Secondary-age students was launched with great success in 2010 and is aimed at young people who want to experience the fun and excitement of choral singing to public audiences.
Concerts for the 2026-27 concert season are outlined below.
2026-27 CONCERT SEASON
We are excitedly looking forward to performing four concerts in Ely during the 2026-27 concert season.
In the Ely Cathedral Octagon on Saturday 7th November 2026 at 8:00 pm we will perform a concert ‘IN REMEMBRANCE‘. Early November is the time when people in this country and beyond pay their respects to those men and women who gave their lives in war and other conflict. This concert for the eve of Remembrance Sunday includes works by John Ireland, William Harris, Elgar, Parry and Stanford, and a new setting of the Requiem by Grayston Ives. The concert will feature Sam Madden tenor, Jeremy Lloyd organ and Bonnie Scott harp and will be conducted by Andrew Parnell.
Our ‘CHRISTMAS CONCERT’, will be in St. Mary’s Church, Ely on Saturday 12th December 2026 at 7:30 pm. We present our annual family Christmas concert with its customary mixture of carols for choir and audience, and seasonal readings. The major featured work is Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit (Midnight Mass) a delightful setting based on French Christmas Carols. For many, this sell-out concert marks the start of the final run-up to Christmas but can also offer a much-needed respite from frenzied preparations! We will be accompanied by Ely Youth Choir and Jeremy Lloyd organ and the concert will be conducted by Andrew Parnell.
On Saturday 20th March 2027 we will sing ‘J S BACH’s MASS IN B MINOR’ in Ely Cathedral at 7:30 pm. After his two large settings of the Passion story, the B minor Mass is the next major work by J S Bach. The Lutheran church of his time required settings of two of the five regular movements of the Mass. In this instance, Bach added the other movements to make a complete setting of the Roman liturgy. And what a setting! It is a work of such stature, that it is rarely heard in Ely Cathedral. This is an unmissable concert full of the most glorious music by this composer! Soloists will be Bella Marslen and Charlotte Jane Kennedy sopranos, Helena Paish mezzo-soprano, James Robinson tenor and Ed Birchinall bass with the Medlock Sinfonia leader Helen Medlock and Jeremy Lloyd organ continuo. The concert will be conducted by Andrew Parnell.
Our Summer Concert will be ‘A NIGHT AT THE OPERA’ on Saturday 19th June 2027 at 7.30 pm in St. Mary’s Church, Ely. In the middle of the Ely Arts Festival, come to a sparkling evening of great choruses from the operatic stage. Settle into your seats in the stalls and listen to grand music by Bizet, Borodin, Mascagni, Mozart, Rossini, Verdi and the like with Ely Youth Choir, Jeremy Lloyd piano and conducted by Andrew Parnell.
Tickets for concerts in Ely Cathedral will be on sale from the Ely Cathedral Box Office and at http://www.elycathedral.org/events and on https://www.ticketsource.com/ely-choral-society/t-mjenmvz for concerts at St Mary’s Church, Ely.
The Covid pandemic now seems well in the past but it did give us the opportunity to do some innovative thinking to keep the choir singing! We created a small Ely Choral Society Virtual Choir by making video recordings on our mobile phones. Before it all becomes a history you can still hear our virtual choir by clicking on the following YouTube links:
