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Anglican

Anglicans form the family of Christians closely related to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Whilst tracing their inheritance back to Christ and the earliest Christians and to the ancient Roman Catholic church, the sixteenth century Reformation was a crucial moment for Anglicanism.

Diocese

‘Diocese’ refers to the geographical territory in which a bishop exercises oversight. The Church in Wales is divided into six dioceses each with its own cathedral in which is housed the cathedra (the bishop’s ‘chair’ or ‘throne’).

Holy Communion

At Holy Communion blessed bread and wine is shared, by which we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The congregation gives thanks for Jesus’ life, his death and resurrection and his continuing presence. See also Eucharist.

Home News St Asaph Choir to perform in iconic Helsinki Cathedral

St Asaph Choir to perform in iconic Helsinki Cathedral

Provincial news Posted: 29 May 2025

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Young choristers from St Asaph Cathedral will be travelling to Finland this month for a concert tour and cultural exchange.

Almost 30 young people from across northeast Wales will be performing in the iconic Helsinki Cathedral as part of the trip which celebrates the link between the Dioceses of St Asaph and Helsinki. In addition, they will be taking part in a choir workshop alongside Finnish young people, performing in local churches and visiting sites of interest around Helsinki, include the city’s zoo.

More than £20,000 has been raised in local sponsorship to ensure the trip is affordable for the young choristers. The Director of Music at St Asaph Cathedral, Paul Booth, said: “For many of these children, this will be their first time traveling abroad, offering them the chance to immerse themselves in a new culture, share their musical talents on an international stage, and forge lifelong memories. Our choir is composed of 27 talented young singers, some of whom come from areas of deprivation where financial constraints make it difficult to afford such a trip. I’m very grateful to everyone, including many local businesses, who have made donations to ensure our talented youngsters have this invaluable experience, enhancing their musical education and cultural understanding.”

The Cathedral choir will be joined on the trip by the Archdeacon of Wrexham, the St Asaph Diocesan Children and Youth Officer and the Diocesan Secretary. The two churches are linked by the Porvoo Common Statement which establishes full communion between the British Anglican Churches and the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of northern Europe.

Last year, a delegation of more than 20 representatives from the Diocese of Helsinki visited St Asaph Cathedral and churches in Wrexham as part of the link between The Church in Wales and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

There has been a Cathedral Choir in St Asaph for almost 800 years. It is one of Wales’s oldest and recruits young people from schools across northeast Wales.

The Diocese of St Asaph is one of six dioceses in the Church in Wales, an independent Province of the Anglican Communion.