Lichfield Cathedral celebrates Queens Diamond Jubilee

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were among the guests at a service of thanksgiving for the Queen at Lichfield Cathedral on Sunday.

The service was held as part of nationwide celebrations taking place throughout the year to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

It was hosted jointly by the Queen’s Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Sir James Hawley, and the Chairman of Staffordshire County Council, Frank Lewis.

Around 700 people attended the special Jubilee Evensong. Almost all of the music sung at the service was performed either at the Coronation service in 1953 or on other royal occasions.

A setting of Psalm 23 by David Matthews was performed for the first time in Lichfield Cathedral. It comes from the Choir book for the Queen, a collection of pieces specially written and assembled in celebration of this Jubilee.

The organ pieces were all played at the Coronation and included Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No 4, Vaughan Williams’ arrangement of Greensleeves, Walton’s Crown Imperial, Purcell’s Trumpet Tune and Elgar’s Nimrod from the Enigma Variations.

The service concluded with Sir William Walton’s Orb and Sceptre, the Coronation March of 1953.

The prayers had been specially written for the occasion and were offered by the Rt Rev David McGough, Auxiliary Roman Catholic Bishop of Birmingham, as well as regional leaders of the Baptist and Methodist Churches, and of The Salvation Army.

Representatives of the Buddhist, Islamic and Sikh faiths were also present at the service.

The Very Rev Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield, said it was a privilege to begin the regional celebrations for the Diamond Jubilee with a service of thanksgiving at the cathedral.

“2012 is a special year in the life of our nation when we look back on our post-war history and the achievements and complexities of the period," he said.

“Queen Elizabeth II is a wise and diligent monarch and we have much to thank her for.”

The Duke of Gloucester was also shown the progress that has been made with the InSpires conservation project that he launched in 2008.

His visit included a private tour of the external restoration work carried out at the East End of the cathedral.

More than £3million has been raised for major repair and conservation work at the cathedral, with £700,000 still needed to complete the first stage of the project.