On Palm Sunday evening, St Chad’s Cathedral hosted a Service of Word and Sacred Song to begin Holy Week.
It was livestream only and was a first: livestream only so that the whole choir could sing together for the only time during Holy Week this year as current restrictions still only allow for a small number of singers to animate the main liturgies of Holy Week with a congregation present.
Fr Tomas Zuna was the celebrant and Archbishop Bernard Longley was present together with Auxiliary Bishops David Evans and Stephen Wright and Vicar General, Canon Richard Walker.
A series of readings from Scripture and the Divine Office charted the events of Holy Week from Palm Sunday through to Holy Saturday. The Cathedral Choir sang a repertoire of motets and hymns, polyphony and plainchant which set the scene for the days ahead. John Pryer played the organ to great effect.
Readers were Sr Una Coogan, Chaplain at the University of Birmingham; Susannah McCartan, Teacher at St Chad’s Parish Primary School; Anna O’Driscoll, Lay Chaplain at St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, Birmingham; Dawn Casserly, Head Teacher of St Paul’s School for Girls, Birmingham; Trish Brookes, St Chad’s Cathedral Staff; Georgina O’Gara, Head of RE at St Benedict’s High School, Alcester.
The service is still available to follow on St Chad’s Cathedral website. See the livestream box and click on the Recordings Tab.
You will find there all details of Holy Week ceremonies from St Chad’s Cathedral. You are most welcome to join us either in person for the ceremonies that are open or online for all of the ceremonies which will also be recorded.
Further images are available in the Gallery
All images taken by Andrew de Valliere