Funeral choirs and wedding singers for Durham Cathedral and County Durham
Durham is a UNESCO World Heritage city whose cathedral and castle sit high above the River Wear, and whose choral tradition reaches back to the medieval Prince Bishops. We send professional singers, choirs, and instrumentalists to funerals, weddings, and memorials across Durham and County Durham.
Wedding choirs in Durham
Couples marry in Durham Cathedral (where we sing with the cathedral’s permission), and in parish churches such as St Oswald’s on Church Street and St Margaret’s in the city centre. 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 in the cathedral. We sing at church weddings and civil ceremonies across Durham and County Durham, 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.
Durham Castle, part of the World Heritage Site and today the home of University College, hosts wedding receptions in its Great Hall. If you want to marry there too, ask the castle which rooms it uses for ceremonies. Music at a civil ceremony must be secular, so there we sing love songs and part-songs in place of hymns. Our guide to the best choral pieces for a wedding notes which pieces a registrar will not accept at a civil ceremony.
Where we sing in Durham
Durham Cathedral was founded in 1093 as a shrine to St Cuthbert, and its Romanesque nave — massive round pillars incised with zigzag and spiral patterns — is one of the finest in Europe. The Harrison & Harrison organ, rebuilt in 1935 and restored most recently in 2009, has four manuals and 90 stops. The cathedral has its own choir and organist. We sing there only with the cathedral’s permission, joining the choir or singing as a separate ensemble, and for a funeral or wedding in the nave we suggest a choir of eight.
St Oswald’s, on Church Street below the cathedral, dates in part from the twelfth century and has a broad nave that carries voices well. A choir of four fills it. St Margaret’s, in the city centre near the indoor market, serves as a lively parish church and has space for a choir of four to six.
Durham Crematorium, on South Road south of the city, has a chapel seating around 100. 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 Durham
Finding musicians is one task you can hand to us when someone has died. Our singers perform at funerals and memorial services across Durham and County Durham: at Durham Cathedral, with the cathedral’s permission, at St Oswald’s, at St Margaret’s, at Durham Crematorium, and at parish churches throughout the county. 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 Durham’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 Durham
LNER runs trains from London King’s Cross to Durham, and the journey takes around two and three-quarter hours. From the station it is a short walk up the hill to the cathedral and the churches in the city centre. Our prices include travel within Greater London; Durham is outside it, so we add the singers’ travel to the written quote before you book, and a church elsewhere in County Durham goes in the same figure.
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 Durham Crematorium they confirm the start time with the crematorium staff, because services follow one another through the day.
Choir sizes and prices for Durham
A choir of four costs £1,150 and suits St Oswald’s, St Margaret’s, or the chapel at Durham Crematorium; a quintet is £1,400 and a sextet £1,600. For Durham 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 Durham 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 Durham
In December we sing for offices, hotels, and events across Durham and the North East. 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 Durham?
A Small Choir of four costs £1,150 for a funeral at Durham Cathedral, Durham Crematorium, or a parish church in County Durham. 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. Durham 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 Durham Cathedral?
Only with the cathedral’s permission. Durham Cathedral has its own choir and organist, 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 memorial in the cathedral we suggest a choir of eight, which costs £2,000.
Can you provide a wedding choir for a Durham church or venue?
Yes. Our choirs sing at weddings across Durham and County Durham. The Romanesque nave of the cathedral carries voices magnificently, and smaller churches such as St Oswald’s and St Margaret’s suit a choir of four to six. Durham Castle, also a World Heritage Site and part of the university, hosts wedding receptions where our singers perform during the drinks or the meal.
What music suits a funeral at Durham Cathedral or Durham Crematorium?
We sing traditional hymns, classical sacred works by composers such as Fauré and Mozart, and contemporary songs arranged for voices or instruments. The vast nave of Durham Cathedral suits large choral pieces, while smaller spaces such as St Oswald’s or the chapel at Durham Crematorium suit gentler solos and smaller ensembles. We can also arrange a personal favourite.
Do you sing at Durham Crematorium?
Yes. We sing at Durham Crematorium on South Road, where the chapel seats around 100. Our musicians coordinate with the crematorium staff and your funeral director so the music fits the order of service.
Can you provide carol singers in Durham in December?
Yes. We send singers for carol services and roaming carol singing at offices, hotels, and events across Durham and the North East in December, all performed without a microphone. Our Christmas page has more information.
Planning music for Durham Cathedral, a church in County Durham, or a university chapel involves a few decisions, and our funeral music guide, popular funeral hymns, wedding hymns guide, and funeral music costs guide cover them.
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