Other Old Choristers' Associations
Evensong rehearsal - some of the singers, and later joined by the adults of the Cathedral Choir
One of the highest-ever attended Annual Reunions was celebrated on Easter Monday 2026. The Dean, Jonathan Greener, summed it all up so well in the Cathedral Newsletter of 10th April:
"...we welcomed back to the Cathedral our Old Choristers – as we do every year on Easter Monday. This year we reached a new record, at least in my time here [ECOCA web editor - and also in my time since 1976, with the possible exception of the 25 year anniversary in 1989], of 164 singers. [...] the sound was enormous, and inspiring. One of the things our Old Choristers’ festival shows is the impact of singing in the Cathedral Choir, where people learn not just musical skills, but an enthusiasm for music and an attention to detail, all of which last a lifetime.
It is also a real boost for our Choristers to welcome the returnees. Not only had they sung a full service on Palm Sunday followed by the St John Passion, but they had delivered no fewer than five choral services during the Triduum. They were understandably verging on the weary by the time Easter Monday morning arrived. [...] So not only are the choral reinforcements welcome, but the choristers want to prove that they are at least as talented and enthusiastic as their forebears. It was wondrous to watch them giving their all, and focusing intently on Timothy Noon, our Director of Music, who is second to none in drawing energy and life and beautiful music from the youngsters before him.
Although I’m not sure this is based on statistical evidence, we always claim this is the largest Old Choristers’ festival in the country – and it’s certainly hard to imagine anywhere with a greater, more enthusiastic crowd. We are as a Cathedral truly blessed to have this support from our Old Choristers and are very grateful both to the Committee for their immaculate organisation and to all those who give up their Bank Holiday Monday to travel to Exeter for a rip-roaring sing. Next year, do make a note to come along to the Cathedral on Easter Monday, and I imagine this year’s timings will continue: 11:30am for the Choral Eucharist and 3pm for Choral Evensong. But do arrive early for a decent seat at Evensong – on Monday we just managed to squeeze 390 people into the Quire (another record?), with a further 60 sitting in the nave. [editor - there were even congregation sitting on the altar and pulpit steps in the Quire!]
Programme:
10.30 Practice in the Cathedral
11.30 Choral Eucharist: OCs joined the Cathedral Choir for:
Mass: Missa Sancti Nicolai – Haydn
Anthem: Ave verum – Mawby
12.55 Cooked Lunch at the Chantry
14.00 Rehearsal in the Cathedral
15.00 Evensong: OCs joined the Cathedral Choir for:
Introit: Hail, gladdening light – Wood
Canticles: The Gloucester Service – Howells
Anthem: Blessed city, heavenly salem – Bairstow
16.00 Reception in the South Transept
17.00 Annual General Meeting (Chapter House)
19.30 Dinner at Mercure Southgate Hotel, Southernhay East
Guest Speaker: The Dean of Exeter, Jonathan Greener
Tea after evensong
Two former Exeter Choristers won both of the Taunton Festival of the Arts, Young Singer competitions on Saturday 21st March 2026. Hannah Datoo (right) won the Junior Young Singer and Ginevra Dobson (left, and featured in the 2026 ECOCA Newsletter) won the Senior category, both against some very stiff competition!
photo: Fiona Datoo
As many former choristers have probably heard, due to financial pressures being faced by Exeter Cathedral School, a few weeks ago the school Governors decided to close the school in July 2026.
The plan is for the Choristers to attend Exeter School.
There is a parent-led campaign to try and save Exeter Cathedral School. Click here for more information.
3rd and 4th February
Exeter Cathedral hosted the Northern European Cathedrals Conference, Tuesday 3rd February to Friday 6th February. The start of the conference was marked by the BBC recording the opening service, to be broadcast on Radio 4, Sunday Worship 8th February, 8.10 a.m. The photo is of the recording underway at that service (photo: Exeter Cathedral Life 6.2.2026)
Evensong the following day was broadcast live on Radio 3, to be repeated Sunday 8th February. The service featured The Panther – an anthem inspired by the Exeter Book and specially commissioned for the Northern European Cathedrals Conference from the American composer Nico Muhly.
More details about the services.
A new addition to this website is the memoirs of Denis Vercoe, who was a chorister at Exeter between about 1925 and 1928. His time at Exeter included singing on the first LP recording the choir ever made. He was one of the choristers shown in the photo below, carrying the bride's train at the wedding of the Dean's daughter in 1928. His chorister-world was very different from today!
The current choir's Exeter Cathedral Choir Association has an essential aim of raising money for enrichment activities for the choristers and to help fund choir tours. You can support this at no cost to you, by simply doing your online shopping using 'Easyfunding'
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/exetercathedralchoirassoc/
Over £1,500 has been raised so far this way!