Notice: Cathedral Coffee Concert Tackles Isolation At Christmas

Published on: 13 Dec, 2015
Updated on: 13 Dec, 2015

According to Age UK Surrey, more than one million older people haven’t spoken to a friend, neighbour or family member for at least a month.

Guildford Cathedral is trying to address this worrying statistic.

Courtesy of its music department, there will be a morning of free festive fun on Thursday, December 17, with coffee and mince pies at 10.30am. This will be followed by carols and music from 11.15am

Volunteers, former choristers and staff have joined forces to offer an inspiring programme to bring often isolated members of the community together.

Coffee Concert in the beautiful Guildford Cathedral space.

The coffee concert will take place in the beautiful Guildford Cathedral space.

Katherine Dienes-Williams, Guildford Cathedral’s organist and master of the choristers, said: ”The coffee concert series has been a remarkable success. It has reaching out to older people in our community. They enjoy meeting together, listening to music in the wonderful space of Guildford Cathedral and engaging in conversations.

“Our forthcoming coffee concert will both give people the opportunity to do all these things this Christmas. They will be able to join in singing well beloved Christmas carols together. They will also be able to listen to a group of singers from our fantastic Cathedral choir sing some carols for them. It promises to be a great event.”

The concert follows on from a successful nine-week summer series. This has involved talented and highly regarded performers from the local area.

The programme provided a much-needed activity for the elderly within the area.

One attendee said: “On behalf of my father’s care home, and I am sure I speak for others, I would like to say what a wonderful I experience it has been. They have come with a bus full every week from West Byfleet. It has been so popular in the care home that there has had to be a rota.”

The programme forms part of the People’s Cathedral Project. This is an ambitious initiative supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It combines urgent building repairs with an exciting community engagement programme. It also captures and reveals the rich heritage and history behind Guildford Cathedral.

Guildford Cathedral is always looking for volunteers.

The volunteers have a range of exciting roles such as oral history interviewers, event assistants, guides and family fun day helpers.

]To learn more visit the website, or contact reception on 01483 547860, or email reception@guildford-cathedral.org.