Victoria Cathedral's Musical Pilgrimage
The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria, is pleased to share its plans for a concert tour of Vancouver Island this summer. From June 25 to 29, 2025, the Cathedral Choir, Youth Choir, and Young Choristers are excited to embark on a four-day tour of the Diocese of Islands and Inlets, taking them all the way to Port McNeill with stops in Nanaimo and Courtney-Comox.
Concert venues will include St John the Divine, Courtney (June 25), the Gatehouse Theatre, Port McNeill (June 27), and Old City Arts Hub (St Andrew’s United), Nanaimo (June 29). On Sunday, June 29 in the morning, the choir is excited to participate in the dedication festival of St Paul’s Church, Nanaimo. The choir will sing a varied program of music including Antonio Vivaldi’s Magnificat and Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass.
“This is a truly enjoyable concert program that we all really love singing,” said Director of Music, “and we’re confident that you’ll enjoy listening to it too! The Cathedral Choirs are blessed to regularly make music in the stunning Christ Church Cathedral, but this summer we’re looking forward to discovering some new venues and exploring this magnificent island.”
As a resource church for the entire Anglican Diocese of Islands and Inlets and a musical centre in the heart of Victoria, Christ Church Cathedral has a very active choral program.
“I am excited both for the choristers to see the breadth and beauty of our diocese and also for the communities up island to be able to experience the world-class choral music that our Cathedral offers.” said the The Right Reverend Anna Greenwood-Lee, Bishop of the Diocese of Islands and Inlets, “The human voice is a beautiful thing and choral music, when so many voices all join together to create beauty, can truly help us glimpse the divine.”
Performances
Wednesday, June 25 / 7.00pm
Church of St John the Divine, Courtney
579 5th Street, Courtenay
Friday, June 27 / 6.30pm
The Gate House Theatre, Port McNeill
Sunday, June 29 / 10.30am
St Paul’s Church, Namaino
100 Chapel Street, Nanaimo
(Participation in Feast of the Dedication Church Service)
Sunday, June 29 / 3.00pm
Old City Arts’ Hub (St Andrew’s Church), Nanaimo
315 Fitzwilliam St., Nanaimo
About the Musicians
For 150 years, Christ Church Cathedral has been a centre of sacred choral and instrumental music, ranking among Victoria’s most important musical institutions.
The Cathedral Choir and Youth Choir is an auditioned ensemble comprising a mixture of experienced volunteers and emerging professional singers. This ensemble provides music for two Sunday services per week as well as other special services throughout the year. The choir is committed to the pursuit of musical excellence and presents a wide and varied repertoire from Renaissance music to newly commissioned choral works.
The Young Chorister Program, founded in 2017 through a partnership between Christ Church Cathedral and The Cathedral School, is the only school-based, fully immersive Anglican Cathedral Chorister program of its kind in Canada.
The Young Choristers regularly sing with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra and the Victoria Symphony in addition to their regular round of weekly Wednesday Evensong services. This immersive program is made possible through the generosity of the NRS Fund and the St Cecilia Fund at the Victoria Foundation, the Christ Church Cathedral Music Endowment Fund (Victoria Foundation), and the support of many individual donors.
The Choirs’ last tour, in summer 2023, was to the UK, where they sang services in Westminster Abbey and St George's Chapel, Windsor.
Christ Church Cathedral’s choirs are directed by Donald Hunt, a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia. He went on to study music at McGill University in Montreal, where he received Bachelor and Masters degrees in organ performance and composition, studying principally with John Grew. During his time in Montreal, he was assistant organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal. He has also held organist posts in the UK, including at Truro Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral, and St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh.
Media:
Christ Church Cathedral,located on the ancestral lands of the Lekwungen peoples, is the episcopal seat of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of British Columbia, which includes Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. The cathedral has a large parish community and contributes to the cultural, social, and spiritual life of Vancouver Island’s residents and visitors. The Gothic cathedral, one of Canada’s largest churches, was designed in 1896. www.christchurchcathedral.bc.ca
Contact
Donald Hunt Director of Music dhunt@christchurchcathedral.bc.ca
Mark McDonald Assistant Director of Music mmcdonald@christchurchcathedral.bc.ca