Funeral and wedding choirs in Canterbury
There are few places in England where the bond between music and faith runs as deep as it does in Canterbury. Since Augustine arrived in 597 AD and established the seat of English Christianity here, this city has been a place of pilgrimage, prayer, and sacred song. The London Choral Service provides professional singers, choirs, and instrumentalists for funerals, weddings, memorials, and ceremonies across Canterbury and the Kent countryside.
Funeral music in Canterbury
Losing someone you love changes everything, and when you are in the middle of that grief the practicalities of arranging a funeral can feel almost impossible. We want to lift that burden from you. Our singers perform at funerals and memorial services throughout Canterbury and Kent — at Canterbury Cathedral, the mother church of the Anglican Communion, where music has echoed beneath those great stone arches for more than a thousand years; at St Martin’s Church, the oldest parish church in England still in use, whose quiet simplicity holds a beauty all its own; at Barham Crematorium; and at churches across the county. A single soprano singing Pie Jesu as the congregation gathers, a quartet performing God Be in My Head during the committal, a full choir raising Dear Lord and Father of Mankind so that every voice in the room can join in — we shape the music around the life being honoured and around what feels right for those who are grieving.
Canterbury’s extraordinary religious heritage means that music here carries a particular weight: the singing has to feel worthy of the setting and of the person being remembered. Every musician we provide is conservatoire-trained, and many have sung in cathedral and collegiate choirs across the country. If you are not sure what music to choose, our funeral music guide offers thoughtful suggestions for hymns, solos, and choral pieces that have comforted other families. You are always welcome to telephone us simply to talk things through — there is never any pressure, and no obligation at all.
Wedding choirs and singers
To marry in Canterbury is to marry in a place where weddings have been held for over a thousand years. The vast, luminous nave of Canterbury Cathedral, the ancient walls of St Martin’s Church, and the medieval parish churches across the Kent countryside each offer a different scale of acoustic. A live choir does what a recording cannot: give the hymns a lead the congregation can follow without embarrassment, and follow them with a piece during the signing of the register that guests will go on talking about over dinner. Our choirs and soloists perform at weddings across Canterbury and Kent, and we will learn new repertoire if there is a song that holds particular meaning for you. Couples still choosing hymns for the cathedral or a Kent village church can start with our guide to choosing wedding hymns.
Ensembles & pricing
The cathedral nave has room for a chorus of twelve, while St Martin’s suits a smaller group or a soloist, and either can have an organist, harpist or string quartet alongside. The singers and players we send to Kent come from a small team we have built and work with. Send us the church, whether a Kent village church or the cathedral, with the order of service, and we will come back with a recommended ensemble and an accurate quote. You can compare the standard packages on our pricing page; the fees are the same whether you book the cathedral or Barham.
“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 Canterbury
Canterbury’s pilgrim streets and the shadow of the cathedral draw plenty of Christmas footfall, and offices, hotels, and residents’ groups across the city book us for December well before the market stalls appear. We sing carol services in churches and historic venues throughout Kent rather than the cathedral itself, offering singers for your December event or a full carol service depending on whether you want a roaming set or a fixed programme.
Frequently asked questions
Does a funeral choir cost more at Canterbury Cathedral than at Barham?
Our prices for funerals in Canterbury and Kent are the same regardless of venue — a soloist from £250, from there, four voices are £1,150, five are £1,400, six are £1,600, and a full choir of eight is £2,000. We perform at Canterbury Cathedral, St Martin's Church, Barham Crematorium, and parish churches throughout Kent. A travel supplement may apply as Canterbury is outside Greater London.
Can we have a choir at our wedding in Canterbury Cathedral or St Martin’s?
We would love to. Canterbury Cathedral's vast nave suits a large wedding choir, and St Martin's Church, the oldest parish church in England still in use, suits a smaller ensemble. We also sing at village churches across the Kent countryside, and can provide anything from a solo vocalist to a chorus of twelve.
Which hymns and solos do Canterbury families choose for a funeral?
Anything you wish. Families in Canterbury often choose traditional hymns like Dear Lord and Father of Mankind alongside sacred solos such as Pie Jesu or God Be in My Head, but we are equally happy performing contemporary songs or personal favourites. We create bespoke arrangements too, and our funeral music guide has plenty of suggestions if you are still deciding.
Do you cover Barham Crematorium in the Canterbury area?
Yes. Barham Crematorium is the venue we visit most often in the Canterbury area, though we cover all crematoriums across Kent. Our singers know the chapel well, are comfortable working within its timed service slots, and always coordinate with both the crematorium team and your funeral director in advance.
Can you provide carol singers for a Christmas event in Canterbury?
Yes. We sing carol services and provide roaming carol singers for offices, hotels, and community events across Canterbury and the Kent countryside in December, performing entirely a cappella. December is our most heavily booked month, with dates starting to fill by mid-September, so please enquire in good time — our Christmas page has full details.
Four guides may help as you plan music in Canterbury and Kent: our funeral music guide, popular funeral hymns, wedding hymns guide and funeral music costs guide.