UK Cathedral Music Tour

On our school music cathedral tour for choirs, your ensemble will have the unforgettable opportunity to perform in some of the most spectacular cathedrals and minsters in the country!

You’ll perform in the prestigious venues of Southwell Minster, Lincoln Cathedral, York Minster and Durham Cathedral on this, the ultimate school music tour for choirs with sacred repertoires. Your choir will gain important performance experience and will learn about the variations in acoustics among cathedrals. And you’ll perform in front of a variety of audiences across the midlands and the north of England.

Plus, when you’re not performing, your choir will love the opportunity to explore these lovely towns and cities, from impressive castles to famous tearooms!

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Travel to Southwell, Nottinghamshire

Afternoon

Concert at Southwell Minster as part of a service or recital Free time to explore the town

Evening

Check in to accommodation in Sherwood Forest

Day 2

Morning

Visit to Sherwood Forest

Afternoon

Travel to Lincoln and explore the town Late afternoon concert or recital at Lincoln Cathedral

Evening

Return to accommodation in Sherwood Forest

Day 3

Morning

Travel to York

Afternoon

Explore York

Evening

Participation in evensong at York Cathedral Check in to accommodation in York

Day 4

Morning

Travel to Durham with an optional stop at the seaside (depending on the season)

Afternoon

Explore Durham Concert/recital at Durham Cathedral

Evening

Check in to accommodation in Durham

Day 5

Morning

Breakfast and check out of accommodation Return travel to school with optional extra stop en route depending on location of school

Executive coach (TV/DVD/WC)
Arrangement of 3 concerts including publicity and advertising
4 nights' half-board accommodation
Free staff place ratio 1:10
Free itinerary planning service
Detailed final itinerary
Motorway tolls and parking fees
VAT at current rates to tour operators
Access to Vamoos travel app

Accommodation

YHA Durham

One of the most charming youth hostels you will ever stay in! Housed in a former 17th century coaching inn, this 29-bed hostel is in the village of Edmundbyers, near Derwent Reservoir.

YHA York

After a £1 million renovation completed in 2013, the YHA York is now ready to welcome school groups. The hostel offers modern rooms and facilities in a historic location with a 24/7 café, bar, games room, pool table and wi-fi in public areas. Students are accommodated in multi-bedded rooms, with teachers in twins or singles.

YHA Sherwood Forest

Stay in the heart of Sherwood Forest at this lovely youth hostel. On the edge of the village of Edwinstowe, the hostel is just a short walk from the Major Oak, an ancient tree that is said to have provided shelter to Robin Hood and his Merry Men. The hostel has 48 beds in both private and dorm rooms, some of which are en suite. There's also a lovely lounge where your group can gather to catch up at the end of a busy day.

Excursions

The Workhouse, Southwell

The best-preserved workhouse in England, a visit here will help your students to better understand the role of such institutions in 19th century British society.

Tour of Lincoln

Enjoy a tour of the beautiful city of Lincoln, including its lovely castle and magnificent cathedral.

Uncle Henry's Maize Maze

Your students will love trying to find their way out of this giant 5 acre maze!

York Castle Museum

York Castle Museum is actually housed in prison (a debtors' prison and a women's prison) buildings, which were themselves built

National Railway Museum

This fantastic museum tells the story of Britain's railways and their impact on society.

Betty's Tearoom

Betty's is an institution and not to be missed when in Yorkshire! Drop by for the famous afternoon tea in the opulent surroundings inspired by the Queen Mary ocean liner.

Durham Castle

This Norman castle is a designated cultural World Heritage Site, alongside the city's cathedral.

Durham Botanic Garden

Durham University's spectacular botanic garden is a 10 hectare haven of tranquillity in the city.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect tour

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in music tours and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a tour to suit your group’s needs and meet your tour objectives.

Launching your tour

The next step is to get your tour approved and then get your musicians signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the tour planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (including making sure your concerts are well promoted).

Support while you’re away

Throughout your music tour, we’ll be just a phone call away (24/7). Before you go, we’ll send you a final info pack and you’ll be able to access all your tour documents via the free Vamoos app.

After your tour

When you return from your tour, we’ll ask you to complete a detailed feedback survey, so we can continue to improve the service we offer. And we can start planning your next tour, so you can give your musicians and their families plenty of time to pay for it (and so it’s less stressful for you).