Cambridge Choral Academy Epiphany Singing Retreat

The choral repertoire for Epiphany is almost as rich as for Christmas, and produced some of the most ground-breaking music of all time.

'Epiphany is possibly my favourite musical and liturgical season – so rich and yet often neglected by church musicians exhausted by Christmas. This is the season of stars and wise men; both will be present (actually and musically) during our weekend course, which will also capture some of the mystery and magic of this ancient feast.'
Dr Edward Wickham, Artistic Director

We’ll be staying in historic Sidney Sussex College, **which is steeped in musical history. The Chapel that stood on this site in pre-Reformation times saw a number of early English composers take their degrees, including **Robert Fayrfax (MusB, 1501; DMus 1504) and Christopher Tye (MusB, 1536). Later, the great Elizabethan composer William Byrd would have been well-known to the foundress, Lady Frances Sidney, and two very fine elegies by Byrd survive for her nephew, the poet and courtier Sir Philip Sidney. Alongside services in historic chapels and a feast of repertoire for Epiphany, we’ll also be wassailing, trying King Cake and merry-making at our Twelfth Night Dinner at Peterhouse.

Delights in store include candle-lit Compline in Sidney Sussex College Chapel (you can experience the gorgeous chapel in virtual reality here!), Evensongs **in two other colleges and a 3-course **Twelfth Night formal dinner. You will develop your voice and choral skills with daily voice training and vocal health sessions, and enjoy warm camaraderie with a friendly group of people who share your passion for choral music.

Our Singing Retreats are designed to immerse you in the rich choral life of Cambridge, with accommodation in one of its historic colleges, and opportunities to sing in college chapels under the direction of celebrated Cambridge choir directors. Alongside the choral workshops, you’ll enjoy complementary cultural and educational talks, as well as meeting like-minded new friends.