Funeral choirs and wedding singers for Exeter Cathedral and Devon
Exeter is a cathedral city on the River Exe, where Norman stonework meets Devon countryside. We send professional singers, choirs, and instrumentalists to funerals, weddings, and memorials across Exeter and out into Devon’s churches and villages.
Wedding choirs in Exeter
Couples marry in Exeter Cathedral (where we sing with the cathedral’s permission), in the city’s medieval churches, and in country churches across Devon. 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 under the cathedral’s vaulted ceiling. We sing at church weddings and civil ceremonies across Exeter and Devon, 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.
Devon’s country houses and hotels — from the thatched villages of the Exe valley to the coast at Sidmouth — host civil ceremonies where the music 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 Exeter
Exeter Cathedral stands in the heart of the city, and its uninterrupted Gothic stone vaulted ceiling — the longest in the world — carries voices from the nave to the west end. 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 in the nave we suggest a choir of eight.
St Martin’s Church, on Cathedral Close, is the oldest church building in the city, with parts dating to before the Norman Conquest. Four singers fill it well. St Stephen’s, on the High Street, is a 15th-century church now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, and its stone interior suits a quartet or a solo voice.
Exeter & Devon Crematorium, on Topsham Road, has a main chapel seating around 100. Our musicians coordinate with the crematorium staff and your funeral director so the music fits the 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 Exeter
Finding musicians is one task you can hand to us when someone has died. Our singers perform at funerals and memorial services throughout Exeter and Devon: at Exeter Cathedral with the cathedral’s permission, at St Martin’s, at the Exeter & Devon Crematorium, and at parish churches across 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 Exeter’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 Exeter
GWR runs trains from London Paddington to Exeter St Davids, and the journey takes around two hours and fifteen minutes. From the station it is a short walk into the city centre. Our prices include travel within Greater London; Exeter is outside it, so we add the singers’ travel to the written quote before you book, and a church out in the Devon countryside 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 the crematorium they confirm the start time with the staff, because services follow one another through the day.
Choir sizes and prices for Exeter
A choir of four costs £1,150 and suits St Martin’s or the crematorium chapel; a quintet is £1,400 and a sextet £1,600. For Exeter 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 Exeter 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 Exeter
In December we sing for offices, hotels, and residents’ groups in central Exeter and further into Devon. 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 Exeter?
A Small Choir of four costs £1,150 for a funeral at Exeter Cathedral, Exeter & Devon Crematorium, or a parish church in the city. A quintet is £1,400, a sextet £1,600, and a choir of eight £2,000. Our organist adds £250 where the church has an organ. Each fee covers up to two hours, rehearsal included. Exeter 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 Exeter Cathedral?
Only with the cathedral’s permission. Exeter Cathedral has its own choir and organists, so we ask the cathedral before we confirm a booking there. With its agreement our singers may 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 for a Devon church?
Yes. Our choirs sing at weddings across Exeter and Devon, from the medieval churches in the city centre to country churches in the surrounding countryside. St Martin’s, St Stephen’s, and the parish churches of Topsham, Crediton, and the villages around Dartmoor are all within reach. We match the size of the ensemble to each space.
What music suits a funeral at Exeter Cathedral or a Devon church?
We sing traditional hymns, classical sacred works by composers such as Fauré and Mozart, and contemporary songs arranged for voices or instruments. The long vaulted ceiling of Exeter Cathedral suits large choral pieces, while smaller Devon churches suit gentler solos and quartets. We can also arrange a personal favourite.
Do you sing at Exeter & Devon Crematorium?
Yes. We sing at Exeter & Devon Crematorium on Topsham Road, where the main 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 Exeter in December?
Yes. We send singers for carol services and roaming carol singing at offices, hotels, and residents’ events across Exeter and Devon in December, all performed without a microphone. Our Christmas page has more information.
Planning music for a service in Exeter or Devon involves a few decisions, and our funeral music guide, popular funeral hymns, wedding hymns guide, and funeral music costs guide cover them.