78. Festival of St Cecilia, Worshipful Company of Musicians, Westminster Cathedral, 22 November 2023


There was a very colourful display of Livery Masters, Clergy and choirs at Westminster Cathedral for the annual Festival of St Cecilia.  This event is held at the Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral in rotation.  The festival has been the flagship event for “Help Musicians’” for over 75 years.  Help Musicians is a charity for professional musicians of all types in work and retired.

The service was conducted by Fr John Scott, Chaplain of Westminster Cathedral, and the address was given by Monsignor Philip Whitmore, Rector of St James’ Church, Spanish  Place.  Sir Andrew Parmley delivered a reading.  Help Musicians supported cellist, Margarita Balanas played an excerpt from a Cello Suite by Bach which soared round the Cathedral.  The enthusiastic voices of the Livery and congregation were surpassed by the joint choirs of Westminster Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.  We were treated to the premiere of a special anthem by composer Joseph Phibbs, commissioned by the Vaughan Williams Foundation.

Olivier Award winning actor Miriam-Teak Lee, supported by Help Musicians in 2016, spoke of the difficulties and financial barriers faced by young musicians, and the importance of supporting these musicians of the future, with the resources needed to help them reach their potential.

It was a magical and uplifting occasion.

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