News

At 3.30pm on Sunday 16^th March, the Eve of St Patrick’s Day,

all are invited to share in a special St Patrick’s tide Choral Evensong at St Anne’s Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast with the Belfast Cathedral choir.

Within an evocative service of Choral Evensong, led by the choir of St Anne’s Cathedral, the Old Testament lesson will be read in Irish, and the New Testament lesson read in Ulster Scots. In this way we will embrace the tradition that Patrick may have been born in the area of Dumbarton, and Strathclyde, in Scotland, before his capture as a slave, when he was brought to live on the slopes of Slemish. Later he would return as the “Apostle of the Irish” to bring the Christian Gospel to this island.

During the Service of Evensong the cathedral choir will sing:

• The Responses, by William Byrd
• Canticles from his “Short Service” by Thomas Weelkes
• The Anthem “The Lamentation” is by Edward Bairstow.
• The final voluntary, played by Cathedral Assistant Organist, Mr Stephen Hamill is Pastorale op.19, by César Frank.
• The Cathedral Choir is directed by Mr Jack Wilson, Master of Music.

And on Monday 17^th March,

start your St Patrick’s Day festivities with a Cathedral Service of Choral Eucharist, led by the choir of Belfast Cathedral.

We invite all to share our Choral Eucharist on the Feast Day of St Patrick, our island’s patron saint.

Before he became the reason for celebrating all things Irish, Patrick was a missionary who helped the Church to flourish on this island. We will celebrate his legacy within the Service of a sung Eucharist with fabulous choral music, including Philip Stopford's St Patrick's Eucharist, and Bob Chilcott's setting of the Irish Blessing.

The Dean will share in a reflection on the life and legacy of St Patrick for the world of today.

Come and join us before enjoying the rest of the culture that Belfast has to offer on St Patrick's Day.