Saturday 5th September 2026
It was a very great honour to be invited by The Battle of Worcester Society to provide music at their Anniversary Celebration Dinner. Held at the Bishop’s Palace in Worcester, it was just one of a series of events they have organised to commemorate the 375th anniversary of this important battle that marked the end of conflict in the English Civil War.
The Bishop’s Palace is just next door to the cathedral in Worcester. Tucked away by a high brick wall and rarely open to members of the public, is a beautiful historic building. In 1651, the Royalists held their Council of war within the Palace, before the Parliamentarians ended the siege of Worcester, and with it, the hopes of Charles II of fighting back against Oliver Cromwell. Thankfully, there was no battling or fighting going on at the Palace yesterday, just lots of smartly dressed dinner guests, enjoying a drinks and nibbles prior to their dinner and lecture by historian Professor Ronald Hutton.
The choir arrived before the guests and set up in the Undercroft, ready to sing. The room itself was very beautiful, looking out over the River Severn, with a door leading out onto sun-washed gardens. It all looked splendid in the glorious golden evening. Our job was to provide background music as guests enjoyed canapes and wine and a chance to mingle before the dinner. And sing we did. As a small ensemble of just nine, it was quite hard to hear ourselves at times, but the hospitable atmosphere in the room made it a pleasure to sing. I’m sure our costumes and period music were perfect for the setting, and many people stopped to listen and were very gracious in their applause.
Dinner was announced by a booming drum. By now, some of us in the choir were quite hoarse, but we managed a stirring rendition of Three Country Dances as the guests filed upstairs for their dinner. Our work now done, we relaxed a little in the gardens, before packing up and heading home. We felt it was a job well done, and hope the Battle of Worcester Society agree.
You can find out more about the Battle of Worcester and the Society dedicated to preserving its memory here. https://thebattleofworcestersociety.com/