Cathedral choristers hit the right notes on Radio 3

BBC Radio 3’s choral evensong was broadcast live from the cathedral bringing worship into the homes of those unable to attend the service.

Andrew Bryden, Director of Music at the cathedral said: “The choristers are very excited about this broadcast and I am looking forward to showcasing the choir to a wider audience.

“The sound of the choir has really come together, especially over Advent and Christmas with the additional services and challenging repertoire we have been taking on.” The Very Reverend John Dobson, Dean of Ripon, said the event meant the cathedral could welcoming the wider audience of Radio 3’s Choral Evensong to join the cathedral’s congregation in worship.

He said: “This sacred place has, of course, been at the cutting edge of communications for over 1300 years, from St Wilfrid’s monks who pioneered writing, through to our use of the internet and social media today.

“Radio 3’s Choral Evensong does much to take acts of worship into the lives of people unable to attend a church service physically, and is an important part of retaining the proper place of Christian worship in our national life,” he added.

The service was open to anybody to attend and was broadcast today.

Music being sung at the service broadcast on Radio 3 included the introit: O nata lux de lumine and the office hymn: Tis good, Lord, to be here.

On Sunday the broadcast will be repeated at 3pm. It is also available to listen online at the website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tp7r/episodes/guide for four weeks after the broadcast.