Acclaimed cathedral choir to mark Remembrance Sunday with landmark World War II Requiem performance
The acclaimed choristers of Leeds Cathedral are set to perform a moving Remembrance Sunday concert featuring Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, eighty years after its post-World War II premiere
A major afternoon of sacred music will mark this year's Remembrance commemorations, led by one of the most widely broadcast cathedral choirs in the country - Leeds Cathedral Choir.
The annual concert - a tradition inaugurated in 2018 during the Armistice centennial - will feature Maurice Duruflé's exquisitely beautiful Requiem, written in the immediate aftermath of World War II, alongside masterworks by Renaissance icons William Byrd and Tomás Luis de Victoria, and French composer Louis Vierne.
Accompanied by Cathedral Organist Benjamin Newlove and led by soloists from the choir, the ensemble will be conducted by Diocesan Director of Music, Thomas Leech.
Leeds Cathedral Choir has earned national acclaim not only for its musical excellence - having collaborated with world-renowned ensembles including The Sixteen and Gabrieli, with an upcoming broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in January 2027 - but also for its pioneering social impact.
The choir operates a radical model based on whole-class primary school singing through the Diocese of Leeds Schools Singing Programme, which engages nearly 7,000 children every week and trains around 140 young choristers across seven cathedral choirs.
Speaking ahead of the concert, Thomas Leech said: "This opens doors to the choir for children and families who would never have accessed a traditional cathedral set-up, reliant on private education, and provides so much opportunity to realise musical potential."
Canon Matthew Habron, Dean of Leeds Cathedral, added: "The sacred texts and music can bring great consolation and hope in a world still fractured by war and conflict. Visitors both new and familiar to Leeds Cathedral are most welcome, and I hope will be uplifted by the music of our wonderful choir."
When is the Remembrance Sunday concert taking place?
The concert takes place on Remembrance Sunday (November 8) at 3pm (lasting approximately one hour) at Leeds Cathedral (located on Great George Street, less than a ten-minute walk from Leeds Station, with nearby parking at Q-Park The Light).
When and where can I get tickets for the Remembrance Sunday concert?
Admission to the concert is free, with no advance ticket booking required.
A suggested donation of £10 is welcomed at the door, with all proceeds directly supporting the 140 choristers and seven choirs within the Diocese of Leeds Schools Singing Programme.
Further information is available on the Diocese of Leeds Music website.