Funeral and wedding choirs in Manchester
Manchester has the musical history to match its scale, from the old Free Trade Hall to the parish churches in the suburbs. Our conservatoire-trained singers perform at weddings, funerals, and memorials across Greater Manchester — usually in a church, occasionally in a venue, always on time and rehearsed.
Funeral music in Manchester
Losing someone you love is overwhelming, and choosing music for a funeral can feel like one more impossible decision at an already difficult time. We are here to help. Our singers perform at funerals and memorial services in churches, crematoriums, and secular venues right across Greater Manchester. From a lone soprano voice singing Pie Jesu in a quiet chapel to a four-part choir leading the congregation through Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, we shape every performance around what the family wants.
We regularly sing at Manchester Cathedral, at churches across Salford, Stockport, Trafford, Bolton, and Bury, and at the city’s principal crematoriums — Manchester Crematorium, Agecroft Crematorium, and Blackley Crematorium. If you are unsure which pieces would suit the service, our funeral music guide offers suggestions for hymns, solos, and choral works. We are always happy to talk things through by telephone as well — there is never any obligation.
Venues we know well
Manchester Cathedral on Victoria Street has a generous Gothic acoustic that suits a full choir of eight or twelve voices. The reverberation lifts choral pieces like Fauré’s Pie Jesu and gives congregational hymns the weight they deserve. We coordinate with the cathedral’s own director of music for services held there.
Manchester Crematorium on Barlow Moor Road has two chapels of differing sizes. The larger chapel works well with a quartet or sextet; the smaller suits a soloist. Both run on tight 30- to 45-minute time slots, which we plan around so families never feel rushed.
Agecroft Crematorium in Salford and Blackley Crematorium in north Manchester have similar pragmatic acoustics. A solo singer with a portable keyboard is often the right choice for these venues, especially for shorter services. For more on planning music at a crematorium, see our crematorium music guide.
The historic parish churches across Greater Manchester — from Stockport Parish Church and Bolton Parish Church to St Mary the Virgin in Prestwich — have their own characters. We send singers who know the building, or who research it in advance.
Logistics across Greater Manchester
Our singers travel to Manchester from a base in the city itself or from London depending on the date and the ensemble required. We arrive at least 45 minutes before the service to warm up, rehearse in the venue, and coordinate with the officiant. Travel to Manchester is quoted upfront before you book, and the same applies for outlying areas like Wigan or Macclesfield.
Most central Manchester venues are accessible by Metrolink or short walks from Piccadilly and Victoria stations. We arrange parking for any equipment we bring (typically just a portable keyboard for venues without an organ). For services in suburban Greater Manchester, we drive and add a modest travel supplement, which is always agreed before booking.
Memorial services and celebrations of life
Memorial services held weeks or months after a funeral often allow a more ambitious musical programme than the funeral itself. Manchester Cathedral and the city’s larger parish churches suit full choirs of eight to twelve voices, and we can include orchestral players for performances of Fauré’s Requiem or Stainer’s Crucifixion. For a more intimate celebration of life at a hotel, restaurant, or family home, a quartet or solo voice is often the right scale. Our memorial service planning guide deals with the practical side of a Manchester memorial.
Wedding choirs and singers
Manchester and Greater Manchester have a wide variety of wedding venues, from grand Victorian churches to converted mills and contemporary spaces along the waterfront. A live choir does what a recording cannot: keep a nervous congregation in tune and in time through the hymns, and follow them with a solo during the signing of the register that holds the room still. Our choirs and soloists perform at weddings across the region, and we will learn new repertoire if there is a piece that holds particular meaning for you. If you are still deciding on your music, our guide to choosing wedding hymns is a good place to start.
For couples in Greater Manchester also considering musicians from further afield, we equally cover services in Liverpool and Chester.
Ensembles and pricing
We offer everything from a single soloist to a chorus of twelve voices, and can pair singers with an organist, harpist, or string quartet. Some of our singers are based in Manchester, and each musician we send comes from our own hand-picked team. The two chapels at Manchester Crematorium suit different sizes of group, so let us know the venue and the timings and we can suggest an ensemble with an accurate quote. The standard packages are on our pricing page; for suburban venues such as Wigan or Macclesfield we add a modest travel supplement, agreed before booking.
“I rang up not really knowing what I wanted and he couldn’t have been kinder. The quartet were outstanding — several people have asked me for the details since.”
Christmas carol singers in Manchester
Our singers spend December performing carol services and carol singing right across Manchester and Greater Manchester, from Manchester Cathedral to office parties and residents’ Christmas events in converted mills and hotels. Churches and companies planning a full evening can book a carol service, and any venue wanting something less formal can hire roaming carol singers for parties and receptions.
Frequently asked questions
What does a funeral choir of four to eight voices cost in Manchester?
Booking one singer for a funeral at Manchester Crematorium or the cathedral costs from £250. Sizes above that run £1,150 for four voices, £1,400 for five, £1,600 for six, and £2,000 for a full choir of eight. A modest travel supplement may apply for services in parts of Greater Manchester outside the city centre.
Can you provide a wedding choir for a Manchester church or converted mill?
Yes. Our wedding choirs sing at Manchester Cathedral, at parish churches across Salford, Stockport, and Trafford, and at licensed venues including converted mills and waterfront spaces. We offer anything from a solo vocalist to a twelve-voice chorus and take care of all the musical planning.
What funeral music do you sing at Manchester Cathedral?
Our repertoire covers traditional hymns, classical sacred works such as Pie Jesu and Ave Maria, and contemporary songs or personal favourites. For services at Manchester Cathedral we can draw on the full Anglican choral tradition, and bespoke arrangements are always available.
Do you sing at Manchester, Agecroft and Blackley crematoriums?
Yes, we regularly sing at Manchester Crematorium, Agecroft Crematorium, and Blackley Crematorium, as well as other chapels across Greater Manchester. Our musicians know these venues well and are experienced in working within their specific timings and acoustics.
Can carol singers move between rooms at a Manchester Christmas party?
Yes. We offer carol services and carol singers who move through offices, hotels, and residents’ Christmas events across Manchester and Greater Manchester. December is our most in-demand month, and dates typically start to fill by mid-September, so it’s worth enquiring early. See our Christmas page for more.
Read our funeral music guide and popular funeral hymns for a service at Manchester Cathedral or Agecroft, the funeral music costs guide for what to budget, and the wedding hymns guide if you are marrying in Greater Manchester.