An evening of "unique music collaboration" will return to Salisbury Cathedral in July.

Evening Songs is created between La Folia, Exeter House School, Able Hands Together, Salisbury Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral School.

Following six months of creative workshops and planning, the concert will return on Tuesday, July 2 at 5.30pm for a very special Evensong service.

The project sees special needs students from Exeter House School in Salisbury and choristers from Salisbury Cathedral come together to devise new words and melodies for the traditional Evensong service. While the format remains largely the same, much of the music is original, created from the young singers’ own experiences and suggestions.

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Josh Hamblin, assistant head teacher at Exeter House School, said: “Exeter House has had the privilege of working with La Folia for over a decade and what we have learnt is that the work we do is more than a series of projects; it is a legacy. Evening Songs is beyond compare and I challenge anyone to sit dry-eyed throughout the entire evening. It is passion and joy in its rawest form.”

Evening Songs was first created in 2016 and held again in 2019. This year, the music and words have been created by students from Exeter House School, Exeter House Vocational Centre, co-farmers from Wilton-based Able Hands Together and choristers from Salisbury Cathedral. They have been led by musicians Howard Moody, Lynsey Docherty, Mark Padmore and David Halls, who is also organist for the service.

(Image: Salisbury Cathedral)

Howard Moody, artistic director of La Folia and creator of Evening Songs, said: “Since workshops began at the start of this year, there have been many extraordinary experiences. In the very first session with a student at Exeter House, we spoke of what it would be like to walk into the Cathedral at the end of the day and hear music.

"In response, the student started singing his own words and that incredible melody is one of several that feature in the service. It is exciting to be running Evening Songs for the third time and we are looking forward to sharing the new music created by the young students and choristers.”

David Halls, Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral, added: “Evening Songs spreads the good news about the healing and restorative power which making music together provides, and it is so appropriate that this special project culminates in an act of worship in the breathtaking space of Salisbury Cathedral. Once again it has been a privilege to se the results of what the Cathedral choristers and pupils from Exeter House have created together.”

Evening Songs takes place on Tuesday, July 2 at 5.30pm in Salisbury Cathedral.