Hereford Cathedral choir will make history this summer when it becomes the first Anglican cathedral choir to sing at a papal mass in Rome since the Reformation.
It will sing in St Peter's Basilica alongside the choir of the Sistine Chapel to mark St Peter's Day, one of the Vatican's biggest services of the year. The two choirs will combine for some of the items and Geraint Bowen, Hereford's director of music, has been invited to share the conducting with the director of the Sistine Chapel Choir, Massimo Palombella.
Hereford's choir were invited as part of Pope Francis' effort to build church unity. It comes after the Westminster Abbey choir sang with the Sistine Chapel choir at the same mass in June 2012 and Merton College sang evensong at St Peter's in March 2017.
However this year will be the first time an Anglican cathedral choir will have sung at a papal mass in the Vatican.
The archbishop of Canterbury hailed the occasion as a sign of 'the strengthening of relations between the two Churches'.
He said: 'It signifies a move towards fostering a greater unity and the continuing development of a warm ecumenical understanding.'
Richard Frith, the bishop of Hereford, said he was 'delighted' by the news.
'The inclusion of our young singers in the performance is particularly fitting as we look to the youth of both the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches to work together in developing future closer ties.'
Bowen, the director of music at Hereford Cathedral, said: 'This invitation is a great honour for our choir and we are all hugely looking forward to such a wonderful opportunity.'
