An Evening at Christ Church

Mark and I had the great pleasure of attending a beautiful service of Solemn Vespers at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford this evening, celebrating 500 years since Cardinal Wolsey founded what was originally Cardinal College on the site of St Frideswide’s Priory. Refounded by Henry VIII as Christ Church, the college has always been both a place of learning and a place of worship — a rare and rather special arrangement that gives it its distinctive character.

The service was centred around the Latin Magnificat, sung in a brand-new setting by Errollyn Wallen, Master of the King’s Music. This was its first public performance, and it was truly stunning — rich, expressive, and beautifully performed by the Cathedral’s choir of men and boys. Mark and I were seated right next to them and had the full benefit of their glorious sound. I was a chorister myself growing up in Gloucestershire, but I never had a voice even half as beautiful as those we heard this evening.

Afterwards, we enjoyed drinks in the Cathedral garden before heading into Christ Church’s famous dining hall — familiar to many as the inspiration for the Hogwarts Great Hall in the Harry Potter films. It’s a spectacular setting, and we were honoured to be seated at Top Table beneath the imposing portraits of Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey themselves.

Dinner was excellent, but the pudding deserves a special mention: a deconstructed summer pudding with clotted cream ice cream — absolutely delicious. Mark tells me the wines were excellent too. I was driving, so you’ll have to take his word for it.

A joyful and thoughtful evening, full of music, memory, and just the right amount of indulgence.