Members of the Portsmouth Male Cathedral Choir will be performing at the top of the iconic Spinnaker Tower as part of their Ascension Day celebrations this coming Thursday, 21 May.
The private act of worship will take place at 8.15am, 100 metres above Portsmouth Harbour on the Spinnaker Tower's View Deck 1, with 22 boys and 8 men from the cathedral choir as well as 15 people in attendance who will have the privilege of being in the congregation.
Ascension Day celebrates Jesus' ascension to heaven after he was resurrected on Easter Day and marks the last appearance of Jesus to the disciples after this.
The choral group will be performing 'I Heard a Voice From Heaven' by Thomas Weelkes, to the spectacular backdrop of the panoramic views of Portsmouth, the Solent and the Isle of Wight on this special religious occasion.
The Dean of Portsmouth, the Very Revd David Brindley, commented; "On the day when the Church celebrates Jesus' ascension to heaven at the end of his ministry, it is a great privilege for the Cathedral Choir to be able to sing in the Spinnaker Tower. There is a medieval tradition of singing from Church towers on this day - but no choir will be quite as high as ours!"
The Spinnaker Tower is open daily from 10am (excluding Christmas Day). See spinnakertower.co.uk or call 02392 857520 to book in advance or to find out more!
Portsmouth Cathedral Choir
Portsmouth Cathedral Choir is made up of 24 boy choristers and 14 lay-clerks and choral scholars who sing every day at the cathedral. The choristers rehearse on weekday mornings at 8.00am before a normal school day in preparation for the week's music.
In 2005, the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and death of Lord Nelson involved the choir performing at a number of international and national events. Notable amongst those was the International Drumhead Ceremony during in the International Festival of the Sea in June and at events aboard Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory, during Trafalgar Week (including three BBC radio and TV broadcasts). Our 'Nelson year' concluded with a live broadcast of Choral Evensong on BBC Radio 3 on the day 200 years ago that Nelson's body sailed from Portsmouth to London for his State Funeral.
For more information please visit www.portsmouthcathedral.org.uk