Trips & Tours

We have enjoyed singing in Ripon, Winchester and St Paul’s Cathedrals, as well as on our first international tour to Germany!

“It is a real testimony to the quality of the choir that Steel City Choristers has been accepted to sing at such prestigious places as Winchester, St Paul’s and Berlin Cathedrals. Over many years I have seen evidence of the huge value of going away on tour and making music intensively together, both for each child involved and for the music group as a whole. I strongly commend Steel City Choristers’ forthcoming tours as worthy of anyone’s financial support.”
Ian Naylor, Head of Music Education, Sheffield Music Hub

Why we go on tour

Tours and other trips are a real highlight in our young people’s musical education, creating experiences that they will remember for the rest of their lives. As well as being great fun, they are a valuable opportunity to really stretch and develop the musical standard of the choir and amplify significantly all of the benefits that each young person gains from singing with Steel City Choristers, including their:

• Musicality – Making music intensively on tour helps young people make huge progress with their singing as they are inspired to sing to the best of their ability in beautiful and prestigious surroundings, raising their expectations of what they can achieve.
• Stamina and resilience – To sing at the top of their game day after day young people have to work hard physically and concentrate mentally, fully applying themselves to the task of learning and performing the music for numerous services and concerts to the high standard that cathedrals and other venues expect.
• Relationship and teamwork skills – Spending time away together as a community helps our young people learn how to both live alongside others and take responsibility for making a positive and active contribution to a team.

We ask parents who can afford it to contribute to the cost of our tours, but always aim to raise money in other ways so that no young person is prevented from coming for financial reasons.

Upcoming Trips & Tours

We are looking forward to a number of trips and residential tours over the next 18 months:

• Durham – Steel City Clerks Evensong at Durham Cathedral, Saturday 1 November 2025
• Cambridge – Full Choir Compline with Cambridge University Schola Cantorum at a venue in Cambridge, Monday 16 February 2026
• Hereford – Steel City Clerks Eucharist and Evensong at Hereford Cathedral, Sunday 22 February 2026
• Durham – Full choir weekend services at Durham Cathedral, Saturday and Sunday 31 October and 1 November 2026 

Trips & Tours to date

Choir tour to Berlin

4 August to 10 August 2025

Our first international tour was a week long trip to Germany.

We were delighted to be invited to sing both a recital and morning service of Eucharist at Berlin Cathedral, together with four other recitals or concerts. We were based in Berlin for the week, but took a day trip to Leipzig to sing a recital in St Thomas Kirche – the church in which Bach worked for many years.

We stayed in a Youth Hostel and when we weren’t singing enjoyed a range of activities including visits to Berlin Zoo, The Spy Museum and The Reichstag.

Our tour was featured online in the Sheffield Star.

One couple who came to several of our performances said: “We have almost been in tears specially about your work and caring for the youngsters. We feel we have been very honoured and lucky to have been able to see and listen to
you all three times last week. We wish you all well from the bottom of our hearts for your very precious work and all your dedication towards the children and most of all to your singing to make so many people a little happier in this world.”

Choral Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral

5 April 2025

We had a day trip to London on a coach to sing Choral Evensong at St Paul’s on Saturday 5 April 2025. After a self guided tour of the Cathedral including it’s magnificent dome and galleries, we rehearsed first in the choir practice room and then in quire where we familiarised ourselves with the building’s unique acoustics. 

Revd Canon Dr Catherine Okoronkwo, said: “It was such a treat and blessing to hear the Steel City Choristers sing Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral. What a wonderful ministry.”

After Evensong we enjoyed pizza together in a local restaurant before heading for home.  

Residency at Winchester Cathedral

28 October – 1 November 2024

In October half-term 2024, we were the choir in residence at Winchester Cathedral, singing the daily service of Choral Evensong.

We stayed at a Scout Activity Centre just outside Winchester enabling our choristers to enjoy a range of fun and enriching activities on site as well as in the wider local area before travelling into Winchester to sing each day.

Weekend residence at Ripon Cathedral

July 2023

We enjoyed our first residential tour as we sang a weekend of services at Ripon Cathedral.

The Saturday was the day of the St Wilfrid’s Procession, celebrating Ripon’s patronal saint, and the town was taken over by floats and people in fancy dress. Dinosaurs, superheroes and 80s dancers came into the cathedral for a short service and presentation, before a quieter group stayed on for Evensong. Sunday was a bigger day musically, with a Eucharist service and Sunday Evensong. You can watch the morning service on YouTube here.

Revd Canon Michael Gisbourne, Canon Precentor, said:

“On behalf of the Dean and Chapter of Ripon Cathedral, thank you for visiting Ripon and enhancing the worship of the congregations over the weekend. It was excellent. So many people were impressed with the quality and tone of your music. It is a phenomenal achievement to produce the standard of music you did, which was on a par with cathedral standards without the resources usually associated with a cathedral music foundation. You are all to be congratulated on the work that has been put in to create a choir that is has professional standards and with all choir members seeming to enjoy the experience so much.”