On Sunday 2nd February at 3.30pm there will be a special service to round off the season of Carol Services that has included Advent Sunday and Nine Lesson and Carols on Christmas Eve.

The music and readings in this service trace our Christian journey from the expectation of Advent, the birth of the Christ child at Christmas, the visit of the Wise Men at Epiphany, the terror of the escape of Jesus and his parents into Egypt and finally Christ’s Presentation in the Temple at Candlemas.

Music during the service, sung by the Cathedral Choir:

MacMillan – O Radiant Dawn
Sirett – Thou shalt know him
Bruckner – Ave Maria
Mathias – A babe is born
Willcocks – Sing lullaby
Warlock – Bethlehem Down
Cleobury – Suo Gan
Howells – Nunc dimittis

Hymns to be sung by all:

Come, thou Redeemer of the earth
Hark the glad sound
While shepherds watched
The first Nowell
O worship the Lord
Hail to the Lord who comes

All are welcome.

Llandaff Cathedral Chorister Experience Day

Saturday 25^th January

The Chorister Experience Day is a brand now event for boys aged 6-9 and gives them a taste for what it is to be a Chorister in Llandaff Cathedral Choir. There will be the chance to meet and sing with the 20 current boy choristers and perform a service with them. The day will also include rehearsals and workshops with the Cathedral’s professional music team (all of whom are trained in Safeguarding and fully DBS cleared), an opportunity to explore the Cathedral building – it’s 900 years old in 2020! – and even to play the Cathedral organ. At the end of the day you’ll be able to take home the memory of a fantastic day of music making and a small memento which will be made in a craft activity. There will be separate things for Parents and Guardians to do so no one will be bored!

A choristership is a brilliant opportunity and one of the best starts in life a child can have. The skills it teaches last a lifetime and equip children for many different careers. Some of these benefits include…

·         A first-class musical education with professional music staff

·         The opportunity to work with peers and adults to a high level, making new and lasting friends across school year groups

·         Development of important life skills: time keeping, confidence and self-discipline

·         The chance to be part of a musical tradition in Llandaff that stretches back centuries and includes some of the most wonderful choral music ever written

·         Opportunities to take part in concerts, recordings, domestic and foreign tours

 

As if this weren’t enough, over the last three years boys in Llandaff Cathedral Choir have:

·         Sung on live on BBC 1 and S4C television and BBC Radio

·         Performed in front of Royalty several times and at other functions including the UEFA Champions League dinner

·         Recorded a CD on a professional label which is now available nationally

·         Performed major choral works with professional orchestras and in concerts to hundreds of people.

 

Boys don’t need to have any prior musical training to be a chorister; just a love of singing. Why not come along to find out what it’s all about?  

To find out more or to sign up, please email the Director of Music

Stephen Moore

t. 029 2056 4554

e. [email protected]

You can find out about the Choir by visiting our website, Facebook or Twitter pages

The Diocese of Llandaff launches its ambitious Year of Pilgrimage with a special service in the Cathedral on Sunday 12 January at 3.30pm. Llandaff’s Year of Pilgrimage aims to celebrate Christian heritage and reinvigorate church life across South Wales.

“Our Year of Pilgrimage celebrates the continual presence of church life in every community. It will be a time to reflect on – and encounter – God’s presence in our lives and a time to reach out and extend the hand of friendship across all our communities,” says Revd Mark Prevett, Year of Pilgrimage lead and priest-in-charge in Merthyr Tydfil.

Year of Pilgrimage officially begins with a launch event at Llandaff Cathedral where clergy and parish representatives will witness the blessing of three sets of pilgrim artefacts before they begin their journey around the diocese.

Each of the three archdeaconries will receive a set of pilgrim artefacts; a shell, a staff, a knapsack and a whistle, where they will travel around the local community.

Churches across Llandaff Diocese are busy planning events and activities in preparation for hosting the pilgrim artefacts. Expect organised pilgrimages to places of spiritual importance, unique music events, spirituality courses, family fun days and even a digital pilgrimage.

The artefacts will return to the Cathedral in January 2021 for a special thanksgiving service and the close of our historic Year of Pilgrimage.

Says Revd Mark, “The Year of Pilgrimage is an opportunity to step out of our familiar buildings and take our message of love, hope and forgiveness into the wider world. We want to take church into the community and inspire a whole new generation of Christians.

“Whether you are new to church, a seasoned church-goer or simply exploring what the Christian faith can do for you, you are welcome to journey with us as we seek to encounter God along the way.”

Find out how you can get involved in the latest edition of Croeso.

Christmas is one of the great feasts of the Christian year. All are welcome to the Cathedral as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, with hope and joy. As our Dean, the Very Reverend Gerwyn Huw Capon, writes, “It is the meaning of the Christmas story that compels us to come and adore the new-born King, to bring him our worship and praise, to offer our gratitude for the love that has come into our world and embraced it. Christmas is about the profoundest truth of who God is, and who we are, and what ultimately matters most in life, and where the destiny of the world lies.”

Take a look at a clip of the Cathedral Choir rehearsing for the Advent Procession on Sunday 1st December. See below for the list of Christmas Services here in Llandaff.

Here is a clip of the Cathedral Choir rehearsing for the Advent Procession on Sunday, the music is O nata lux de lumine by Morton Lauridsen. @LlandaffChoir

Click here to check out our services during Advent and Christmas – https://t.co/YevQ7m8SKA pic.twitter.com/nPv8sGhZAJ

— Llandaff Cathedral (@LlandaffCath) December 3, 2019

A variety of services offer the opportunity to explore the meaning of Christmas, from quiet reflection to lively celebration. In addition to the Cathedral’s usual pattern of services:

Organ Recital – La Nativite du Seigneur
Wednesday 18 December, 6.30pm

Messiaen’s La Nativité du Seigneur (The Birth of the Saviour) is arguably one of the most important organ works of the twentieth century. Its devotional nature is remarkably direct, for Messiaen possessed a deep-rooted faith and theological insight which gave a strongly spiritual dimension to all his work. The music will be interspersed with biblical readings, making this a special opportunity to experience the Christmas story in an atmospheric setting through words and wonderful music. The organ will be played by the Cathedral’s Director of Music, Stephen Moore.

 

Christmas with the Cathedral Choir
Saturday 21 December, 7.00pm

Much-loved Llandaff Cathedral Choir will perform a concert of music and readings for Christmas at 7.00pm on Saturday 21st December. The choir, with their angelic boy choristers, will sing a variety of choral favourites for the festive season, including “Ding dong! Merrily on high”, “Lully, lulla”, “In the bleak midwinter”, and music by Mathias, Leighton and Lauridsen. There will be one or two surprises along the way too!

We are also delighted to welcome BBC Wales favourites Rebecca John and Nicola Heywood Thomas as special guest readers and Beverley Humphreys as host for the evening.

 

Service of Light for Children and their Families
Sunday 22 December, 5.30pm

A service centred on the theme of light which is particularly suitable for children. Families welcome too!

 

Christmas Eve – Holy Eucharist
Tuesday 24 December, 10.00am

Begin Christmas Eve with a quiet and reflective Eucharist service in the wonderful surroundings of the St David Chapel.

Christmas Eve – A Service of Nine Lessons & Carols
Tuesday 24 December, 3.30pm

Our ever popular Nine Lessons and Carols Service features much-loved carols, as the Christmas story is re-told through Bible readings. Doors will open soon after 2.00pm. Please arrive in very good time to be assured of a seat.

Christmas Eve – The First Eucharist of Christmas
Tuesday 24 December, 9.30pm

Celebrate the birth of Jesus in a beautiful Choral Eucharist. The service includes music by Mozart, Rutter and Wilberg.

 

Christmas Day – Holy Eucharist
Wednesday 25 December, 8.00am

Begin Christmas Day with a quiet and reflective Eucharist service.

Christmas Day – All Age Eucharist
Wednesday 25 December, 9.00am

The Parish Eucharist is celebrated in the Cathedral’s main body and using the Nave Altar. It is a lively act of collective worship, particularly suitable for families with young children.

Christmas Day – Choral Eucharist
Wednesday 25 December, 11.00am

The Eucharist is offered and celebrated within a Choral setting. It is a solemn celebration where the High Altar is used and where the splendour of the liturgy is enhanced not only by the music, but also by the use of incense.

 

First Sunday of Christmas – Sung Eucharist
Sunday 29 December, 10.00am

The Sung Eucharist is celebrated in the Nave.

First Sunday of Christmas – Evening Prayer
Sunday 29 December, 3.30pm

A short service of Evening Prayer with hymns.

Much-loved Llandaff Cathedral Choir will perform a concert of music and readings for Christmas at 7.00pm on Saturday 21st December. The choir, with their angelic boy choristers, will sing a variety of choral favourites for the festive season, including “Ding dong! Merrily on high”, “Lully, lulla”, “In the bleak midwinter”, and music by Mathias, Leighton and Lauridsen. There will be one or two surprises along the way too!

The choir will be joined by brass ensemble for roof-raising audience participation in singing several of the nation’s favourite Christmas carols, including “O come, all ye faithful”, “Hark! The herald” and “O little town of Bethlehem”.

We are also delighted to welcome BBC Wales favourites Rebecca John and Nicola Heywood Thomas as special guest readers and Beverley Humphreys as host for the evening.

Do join us for what promises to be an evening of entertainment and festive fun in the company of one of Wales’ premier choirs!

Tickets cost £10, click here to buy yours now!

Organist David Geoffrey Thomas

Director of Music Stephen Moore