Christ Church Cathedral welcomes worshippers back to choral services

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Christ Church Cathedral welcomes worshippers back to choral services
Painted ceiling at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford

Christ Church Cathedral has now opened all its services to ‘in person’ worshippers, following the easing of the pandemic restrictions. The new rules mean it is once again permitted for members of the congregation to enjoy full choral worship.

The most recent lockdown that came into force after Christmas meant that ‘in person’ worship was suspended for several weeks. During the closure, the Cathedral continued to broadcast services on YouTube and also held some services on Zoom.

A slight relaxation of the rules before Easter allowed the Cathedral to welcome worshippers in person for Holy Week, provided services were said or sung by just a handful of singers.

The continued fall in the Coronavirus numbers and the gradual loosening of the rules means that the Cathedral is able to offer full choral worship once more to services attended by worshippers in person.

In order to minimise the risk, a limited number of free tickets are released for each service, and congregants are asked to comply with standard Covid-safe protocols. The Cathedral Chapter will continue to monitor the situation and respond accordingly.

The Revd Philippa White, Cathedral Precentor, said: “It has been such a delight to see people at our evening services this week. It feels like another, and very welcome, step into a ‘new normal’ that allows us to go back to many of the things we value – it feels as if we might be able, at last, to exhale!

“It is a great joy to enable our congregations to pray together, worship together, and meet the risen Jesus in word, in sacrament, in music, and in one another.”

Those wishing to attend services should always check the Cathedral website for up-to-date information and to reserve tickets.



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