Washington National Cathedral

Cathedral Voices, the Cathedral’s volunteer adult choir, sings at the 8:45 am Eucharist and rehearses every Thursday evening, 7:30–9:30 pm. Voices also sings at special services such as the Easter Vigil. On June 3, 2012, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Cathedral’s south transept, Voices performed the cantata based on narrative from the Book of Daniel called The Fiery Furnace written by the former Cathedral Organist Richard Wayne Dirksen in 1962.

If you enjoy singing and socializing with like-minded amateur singers, please contact the music office to schedule a short, informal audition.

Hear from Voices members:

• It is fun, challenging and deepens my relationship with the Cathedral.
• We work hard, and it is a very fun group to be a part of--a lot of caring, fascinating, friendly people.
• It is a real privilege to be able to sing regularly in a setting like the National Cathedral, obviously one of the most beautiful and meaningful churches in Washington DC and in the entire country. Big things happen here and it's great to be part of it.
• Singing helps me enter into worship more deeply. We have the best view of the stained glass windows.
• It is a commitment but well worth it! We take our role seriously but have a lot of fun in the process. Our music leadership is fantastic. We get to sing 5 centuries of music. Fellowship is an important aspect; we have a substantial snack table each Thursday eve and have occasional great parties. The Easter Vigil is a highlight of the year.
• Advice I would give a future Cathedral Voices member would be that fun, singing, and service to God is what it's about. That being on time for rehearsals and services is important to the group. That there are great people to meet and that singing in one of the most cherished spaces in the DC area is such a special honor I'm so humbled and blessed to be a part of.
• I would take some voice lessons (not a must but very helpful). I would brush up on my sight reading skills and invest in a keyboard if you don't already have one. That being said--- just audition. It is worth the commitment of time and the returns on the commitment are huge.
• The more the merrier!
• It is a community of friends that care about each other and music. The joy of my life!!!! Although I haven't had a chance yet, it is obviously very useful to take voice lessons. The choir masters can provide names of suitable instructors in the DC area. Even if that is not possible, and in light of my previous recommendation to be able to read music and sight-read adequately, the audition is not daunting. One's musical expertise can only get better by singing in Voices. I look at singing in Voices as an opportunity for good singing, very good musical instruction, and good fellowship with fun people. The choir masters are almost unbelievably talented musicians, and often very witty (and very British).