Sixteen boys from across Somerset and beyond were given a taste of chorister life during a special event at Wells Cathedral on Saturday 15 March.

The Be a Boy Chorister for a Day event offered boys aged six to nine the chance to experience what it's like to be part of the world-famous Cathedral Choir.

During the free, behind-the-scenes afternoon, the children took part in singing workshops and met some of the Cathedral's current Boy Choristers. The day ended with a performance at Choral Evensong in the Quire, where the visiting boys joined the Cathedral Choristers in singing Peter Hurford's Litany to the Holy Spirit and leading two hymns.

They also had the chance to learn how to process as part of the service.

Timothy Parsons, Director of Music at Wells Cathedral, said: "It was an absolute delight to welcome sixteen boys, along with their families, to Wells Cathedral on Saturday. The children enjoyed an action-packed afternoon, culminating in a service of Choral Evensong, where they performed beautifully alongside the Boy Choristers of the Cathedral Choir.

"Our hope is that every one of them had a wonderful, fun, and informative day learning about our special musical tradition at Wells, and that they will have come away from the Cathedral enthused about the idea, perhaps, of becoming Choristers themselves."

A similar event for all children aged six to nine will take place on Saturday 20 September.

In the meantime, the Cathedral offers other musical opportunities including the Wells Cathedral Song Squad – an un-auditioned choir for children aged seven to eleven – and the Song Squad Minis for children aged four to six. Both groups meet on Tuesday afternoons during term time.

There is also the Wells Cathedral Youth Choir for young people aged 11 to 18, which meets on Wednesday evenings.

For more information, contact [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].