St. Oswald’s is the main Parish and Civic Church of the town of Oswestry. It is a large town centre church and has earned the nickname ‘The Cathedral of the Borders’. As such it plays an important part in the life of the town.

Part of this role is reflected in the liturgy and particularly its music. The Choir sings music from the Cathedral and Collegiate Church repertoire and aims to perform to the highest musical standards.

The current schedule of sung services is as follows:-

This does change when special occasions arise e.g. major festivals, civic services. For up to date details please see the Music List section of this site.

Apart from Sundays, the Choir sings at the following Festivals:-

Epiphany - 6th January
Candlemas - 2nd February
Ash Wednesday - Date varies
Maundy Thursday - Date varies
Good Friday - Date varies
Holy Saturday - Date varies
Ascension Day - Date varies
St. Oswald’s Day - 5th August
All Saints Day - 1st November
All Souls Day - 2nd November
Christmas Day - 25th December

During the year special Sequences of Music are sung for Passion Sunday, Whit Sunday and Remembrance Sunday and the Choir sings three Carol Services viz:-

Advent Carol Service 1st Sunday of Advent.
Nine Lessons and Carols Sunday before Christmas
Epiphany Carol Service 1st Sunday after Epiphany

The Choir occasionally gives recitals and concerts. In the past two years we have performed the Vivaldi Gloria and Fauré’s Requiem with the Oswestry Sinfonia Orchestra, and sung with the Shrewsbury Consort of Recorders, The Junior Choir also performed Britten’s A Boy Was Born with the Phoenix Singers of Shrewsbury.

This year the choir performed with Cambrian Camerata in a concert of music for wind band and choir which featured Alkan’s Funeral March for a Dead Parrot.

The choir is on holiday:-
• From Christmas morning to Epiphany (6th January)
• The two weeks after Easter
• From the Feast of St. Oswald (5th August) until the second week of September

We would welcome approaches from any choir or choral group that would be interested in singing the services at St. Oswald’s during the Choir holidays.