Worcester Cathedral Choral Residence

JOIN THE SAINT LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH EVENSONG CHOIR FOR A WEEKLONG SINGING PILGRIMAGE IN ENGLAND, JULY 18-26, 2026!

Our Saint Luke’s Evensong Choir (our parish choir with friends from the wider Jackson community and beyond who enjoy singing Choral Evensong with us) is going to England in July 2026 for a weeklong residence, singing choral services at Worcester Cathedral and visiting notable sites in the surrounding area. Arriving in England on Saturday, July 18, we’ll begin our pilgrimage with a one-day residence in Stratford-upon-Avon, singing the Choral Eucharist on Sunday morning and Choral Evensong that afternoon at William Shakespeare’s parish, Trinity Church, Stratford. Then we'll journey to Worcester, where we will sing Choral Eucharist each afternoon, Monday through Sunday (with a quiet day on Thursday) and Choral Eucharist on Sunday morning. We'll return to the US on Monday, July 27.

There will be daily rehearsals in the cathedral’s song school, plus sight-seeing excursions with guided tours to Anne Hathaway’s cottage, Worcester Cathedral and City, Warwick Castle, Stokesay Castle, Tintern Abbey, Chepstow Castle, Tewkesbury Abbey, and Cardiff, Wales.

We are working with Peter and Simon Baldwin of Charter Travel, which has brought American choirs to England for these choral residencies for many years. Peter and Simon have arranged everything for us once we are in England, from pickup at Heathrow airport and daily transportation to our return to Heathrow.

Our pricing is based on the number of people who participate. For a group of 25 people, which includes entry fees, a private air-conditioned touring coach, en suite hotel accommodations with full English breakfast, entry fees, VAT, donations to the churches, and two evening meals (details below), not including air fare, will be

Total cost per person is £ 1,628       (Pounds Sterling) SHARING A DOUBLE BED

Supplement per person sharing twin room £58 per person for the 7 nights (Travelodge)

Single supplement if required, £444  (for 9 nights) per single room,

Price also includes VAT (national tax) @20% where applicable

For the England portion of the trip, a non-refundable deposit of $250 per person is due to St. Luke’s Church by January 31, 2026 to ensure your place in the group. This is to cover your portion of the hotel deposit, which we have already made.

Submit your $250 deposit online here.

50% of the balance will be due to St. Luke’s on March 1, 2026, with the remaining balance due on May 15, 2026.

Working with a local travel agent, we will arrange group airfare to and from Nashville to Heathrow Airport in London. The current estimate for the price of the flights is $1250 per person. We will make flight arrangements once we have a complete list of travelers. Airline tickets must be paid for when they are purchased.

If you would like to sponsor a member of our choir on this trip, you can make a tax deductible contribution to the “Cathedral Residence” fund. Trip expenses for individual participants are not tax-deductible by law. In either case, please make checks payable to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and write “Worcester Cathedral Residence” on the memo line. Please let us know whether you are paying for yourself or making a contribution to the fund.

10 Day trip total price structure for Residency at Worcester.

Date-Line             July 2026

Accommodation Stratford---Alveston Manor Hotel—2 nights

                                Very Nice hotel with comfortable rooms

Situated in the town centre 10 minutes from the theatre, 15-18 minutes from Holy Trinity.

All rooms are en suite with colour t/v, tea/coffee making facilities in each room.

                                Full breakfast each day.

                                One meal evening meal arranged at the Hotel. (Sunday evening)

Worcester-Travelodge  Hotel                          (7 nights.)

                                Nice hotel with comfortable rooms

Situated in the city centre just a couple of minutes  walk from the Cathedral.

All rooms are en suite with colour t/v, tea/coffee making facilities in each room.

                                Full breakfast each day.

Other meals         Evening meal on final  Sunday  evening  in Worcester.

Transport             49/53 seat Coach and Driver for 7 days.

Touring coach with full air cooled air conditioning, airline type tilt seats, arm rests, foot rests, tinted windows, curtains, and wc washroom. Complete with smooth ride suspension.

                                Parking, gas, and up to 900  miles of travel

                                Driver’s accommodation, meals etc.

                                Transport for all excursions in the itinerary

                                Airport transfer from Heathrow on Arrival and return on departure day

Visits                      Stratford visit to Anne Hathaways Cottage (Inc Fees)

Private guided tour of Worcester Cathedral (Inc fees)

Private guided tour of Worcester City (Inc Fees)

Excursion to Warwick

Entry to Warwick Castle (Inc Fees---very expensive could be £40 per person)

Excursion to Stokesay Castle (Not so much a castle more a home with add ons)

Visit arranged with guided tour of the home (Inc Fees)

Ludlow town for lunch

Excursion down the Wye Valley with stops at Tintern Abbey and Chepstow

Visits arranged to both Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle (Inc Fees)

Finishing in Cardiff (Wales)

Excursion to Tewkesbury (Inc Fees)

Visit to Tewkesbury Abbey with Guided tour (Inc Fees)

Choral                   To arrange 7 Day Residency at Worcester Cathedral

                                Including a donation to Worcester Cathedral to say thank you.

                                Sunday services at Holy Trinity Church Stratford

                                Including a donation to Holy Trinity say thank you.

Miscellaneous     Itinerary provided in PDF form for electronic instruments.

                                Street maps in PDF form also provided.

Meeting and greeting by Peter or Simon/Adam on arrival

All administration and design work associated with the preparation and completion of the tour, excursion programme and tour in general.

                                Assistance with tour from Peter or Simon/Adam as required during the 9 days.