Funeral choirs and wedding singers for Bristol
Bristol sits where the Avon meets the Severn, a port city of steep streets, coloured houses, and churches whose stone walls carry voices as well as any in the West Country. We send professional singers, choirs, and instrumentalists to funerals, weddings, and memorials across Bristol and out into Somerset and Gloucestershire.
Wedding choirs in Bristol
Couples marry at St Mary Redcliffe, in the clifftop churches of Clifton, and at licensed venues from the harbourside to the countryside beyond the city. Our singers hold the hymns together when the congregation is unsure of the tune. Signing the register takes around five minutes, long enough for one piece: a soprano solo in a parish church, or the full choir at St Mary Redcliffe. We sing at church weddings and civil ceremonies across Bristol and the surrounding counties, and we will learn new repertoire if a piece holds particular meaning for you. If you have not yet chosen hymns, our guide to choosing wedding hymns can help you narrow the list.
Where we sing in Bristol
St Mary Redcliffe stands on a ridge above the floating harbour. Queen Elizabeth I is said to have called it “the fairest, goodliest, and most famous parish church in England.” Its hexagonal north porch dates from the early 1200s, its spire rises to 89 metres, and its nave has the height and resonance of a small cathedral. A choir of four fills it, and a choir of eight makes the most of its stone vaulting.
Bristol Cathedral, on College Green, began as an Augustinian abbey in 1140 and became a cathedral at the Dissolution. The choir was rebuilt by George Edmund Street in the 1860s, and the organ sits on the south side of the quire. The cathedral has its own choir and organists. We sing there only with the cathedral’s permission, joining its choir or singing as a separate ensemble, and for a funeral or wedding under the lierne vault we suggest a choir of eight.
The Church of St John the Baptist, on Broad Street, sits on the old city wall, with a vaulted crypt beneath. Christ Church, in Clifton, and Holy Trinity, in Westbury-on-Trym, are both Georgian churches that suit a quartet or quintet. For a civil ceremony, the harbourside and the venues along the Avon Gorge seat everything from an intimate gathering to a large reception.
Westerleigh Crematorium, north-east of the city, has three chapels: the Waterside Chapel, the Woodland Chapel, and the South Chapel. South Bristol Crematorium at Bridgwater Road has one chapel, and Canford Crematorium in Westbury-on-Trym has two. At each we coordinate with the crematorium staff and your funeral director so the music fits the order of service. Our crematorium music guide explains how the music fits a crematorium service, and our funeral choir hire page explains how we work with your funeral director.
Funeral music in Bristol
Finding musicians is one task you can hand to us when someone has died. Our singers perform at funerals and memorial services throughout Bristol: at St Mary Redcliffe, at Bristol Cathedral with the cathedral’s permission, at the parish churches in Clifton, Redland, and Westbury-on-Trym, and at the city’s three crematoria. We shape the music around the person you are remembering and the people who will be there, whether that is a solo soprano singing Ave Maria as the coffin is carried in or a quartet leading a hymn the family chose.
In Bristol’s stone churches, with their high ceilings, a trained voice reaches the back of the nave without a microphone. All our musicians are conservatoire-trained, and many have sung in cathedral and collegiate choirs across the country. If you are not sure where to begin, our funeral music guide sets out the practical choices alongside suggestions for hymns, solos, and choral works. You are welcome to message us on WhatsApp or by email at any time to talk things through, with no obligation.
From London to Bristol
GWR runs trains from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads, and the journey takes around an hour and forty minutes. From the station the singers walk to St Mary Redcliffe or take a short taxi to the cathedral and Clifton. Our prices include travel within Greater London; Bristol is outside it, so we add the singers’ travel to the written quote before you book.
The singers arrive an hour before the service to warm up, rehearse in the building, and agree timings with the verger or funeral director. At a crematorium they confirm the start time with the crematorium staff, because services follow one another through the day.
Choir sizes and prices for Bristol
A choir of four costs £1,150 and suits a parish church in Clifton or a crematorium chapel; a quintet is £1,400 and a sextet £1,600. For St Mary Redcliffe or Bristol Cathedral (with the cathedral’s permission), we suggest a choir of eight at £2,000 or a chorus of twelve at £3,000. A soloist costs £275. We can add our organist to a choir for £250, or an organist or pianist on their own for £275, or a harpist or string quartet. Luca Wetherall chooses the singers and players for each Bristol booking from our own small team of professionals. Standard fees for each ensemble size are on our pricing page, and the written quote adds travel before you book.
“We were all over the place trying to organise everything and he just took the music completely off our hands. On the day it was honestly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”
Christmas carol singers in Bristol
In December we sing for offices, hotels, and residents’ groups across Bristol and the surrounding area. We put together Christmas carol services with a fixed programme, or send carol singers for hire to move between rooms at a party, and we sing without microphones.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a funeral choir cost in Bristol?
A Small Choir of four costs £1,150 for a funeral at Bristol Cathedral, St Mary Redcliffe, or a crematorium in the city. A quintet is £1,400, a sextet £1,600, and a choir of eight £2,000, and our organist adds £250 where the church has an organ. Each fee covers up to two hours, rehearsal included. Bristol lies outside Greater London, so we quote travel on its own and give you the full figure before you book. Our funeral choir page explains what the choir sings and how we work with your funeral director.
Can your choir sing at Bristol Cathedral?
Only with the cathedral’s permission. Bristol Cathedral has its own choir and organists, so we ask the cathedral before we confirm a booking there. With its agreement our singers join the cathedral choir or sing as a separate ensemble. For a funeral or wedding in the cathedral we suggest a choir of eight, which costs £2,000.
Can you provide a wedding choir in Bristol?
Yes. Our choirs sing at weddings across Bristol, from St Mary Redcliffe to the smaller parish churches in Clifton and Redland. We also sing at civil ceremonies in licensed venues around the city. We match the size of the ensemble to each space and can learn new repertoire if a piece holds particular meaning for you.
Do you sing at crematoria in Bristol?
Yes. We sing at Westerleigh Crematorium, South Bristol Crematorium, and Canford Crematorium. Our musicians coordinate with the crematorium staff and your funeral director so the music fits the order of service and the time allowed.
Can you provide carol singers in Bristol in December?
Yes. We send singers for carol services and roaming carol singing at offices, hotels, and residents’ events across Bristol in December, all performed without a microphone. Our Christmas page has more information.
Planning music for a service in Bristol involves a few decisions, and our funeral music guide, popular funeral hymns, wedding hymns guide, and funeral music costs guide cover them.