Celebrate Your Church’s Patronal Festival with a £500 Grant
The Choral Evensong Trust is delighted to offer five £500 grants to parish churches to celebrate their patronal festivals in 2025. This initiative builds on the success of recent trials in rural churches, where choral evensong services drew remarkable attendance and fostered community engagement.
For example, at St Michael and All Angels in Dinder, near Wells, over 90 people attended a choral evensong on Michaelmas (29 September), sung by the Wells Cathedral Chamber Choir. The church was filled to capacity, with many attendees participating in church activities for the first time.
Who Can Apply?
We especially encourage applications from churches where patronal festivals and choral evensong are not regular traditions.
What Does the Grant Cover?
The grant is intended to support a service of choral evensong sung by a visiting choir, followed by a community reception featuring complimentary food and drinks. Receptions can be held in the church, a village hall, or outdoors in the summer. Additional activities, such as bell-ringing, flower displays, bric-a-brac stalls, local pilgrimages, or children’s events, are also welcome to enhance the celebration.
Some cathedrals, such as Wells Cathedral, have travelling choirs willing to sing choral evensong in parish churches. Other local choirs may also be interested in participating. Experience shows that evensong is a powerful way to attract those who might not regularly attend church services while fostering a sense of community.
While including a eucharist as part of the festival is encouraged, choral evensong has proven to have the greatest appeal for newcomers and fits seamlessly with an evening reception.
When to Celebrate?
The ideal time to hold your patronal festival is the Sunday closest to your saint’s day. Saints’ days that conveniently fall on Sundays in 2025 include:
- St David – 1 March
- St Peter – 29 June
- St Anne – 26 July
- St Francis of Assisi – 4 October
For churches dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Trinity Sunday will naturally be your Feast of Title.
How to Apply
To apply for a grant or request more details, please contact the Choral Evensong Trust at hello@choralevensong.org.
Don’t miss this opportunity to enrich your parish life, celebrate your church’s heritage, and bring your community together in a meaningful and joyful way!
For more information on the Choral Evensong Trust, visit choralevensong.org or find us on social media.
