St. Paul’s Choir Residencies

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upcoming residency

St. Paul’s Choir will be in residence at Lincoln Cathedral, U.K., from July 28 - August 3, 2025.
The trip including travel dates will be from July 25 - August 4.

Our final preparation for Lincoln will be:
Friday, July 18 - 7pm - 9pm
Saturday, July 19 - 3.30pm - 5.30pm *
Sunday, July 20 - Evensong at 4pm (warmup at 2.30pm)
* (Saturday session followed by Gradney wedding - meal provided)

final PAYMENT NOW DUE

Your final payment is due. Choir members receive a $500 towards this payment. If you are unsure what you owe, please ask Andy Ginsburg.

IMPORTANT: New Travel Authorization required for UK

Please make sure your passport is valid and has at least 6 months before expiration on the date of travel.

American citizens do not need a visa to visit the United Kingdom, but are required to complete the new Electronic Travel Authorization (introduced 2025). It is simple and inexpensive, but MANDATORY!! Details here Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) - GOV.UK

FLIGHTS

Choir members will need to make their own flight arrangements. 

There are direct flights between Houston Bush and London Heathrow operated by United Airlines and British Airways. We are recommending some here, but you may use any flights that work for you. It is a reality of air travel that connecting from one flight to another can be unreliable, so direct flights are less stressful.

The group bus from Heathrow Airport to Lincoln Hotel on Saturday, July 26 will depart when passengers on BA 0196 have reached the bus (estimate 1.00pm). You do not need to travel on the group bus, but everyone should be in Lincoln by 6.00pm on Saturday, July 26

Recommended direct flights from Houston Bush (IAH) to London Heathrow (LHR)

United Airlines
UA 5 departing IAH at 8.25pm on 7/25 (Fri) and arriving LHR on 7/26 (Sat) at 11.35am
UA 880 departing IAH at 4:20pm on 7/25 (Fri) and arriving LHR on 7/26 (Sat) at 7:40am
British Airways
BA 0196 departing IAH at 8:50pm on 7/25 (Fri) and arriving LHR on 7/26 (Sat) at 12:10pm
BA 0194 departing IAH at 3:35pm on 7/25 (Fri) and arriving LHR on 7/26 (Sat) at 6:50am

Recommended direct flights from London Heathrow (LHR) to Houston Bush (IAH)

United Airlines UA 5
UA 879 departing LHR at 10.35am on 8/4 (Mon) and arriving IAH same day at 2.50pm
UA 4 departing LHR at 1.40pm on 8/4 (Mon) and arriving IAH same day at 5.50pm
British Airways
BA 0195 departing LHR at 9.25am on 8/4 (Mon) and arriving IAH same day at 1.45pm
BA 0197 departing LHR at 2.50pm on 8/4 (Mon) and arriving IAH same day at 7.15pm

Currency

The currency in the United Kingdom is the U.K. Pound (£). American credit and debit cards are accepted everywhere in the U.K., so taking U.K. cash in advance is not necessary.

public transport

Airport transfers and sightseeing excursion buses are included in your trip package. For any other transportation, there are lots of public options:

Lincoln Sightseeing Bus visits all of the central locations within the City of Lincoln
Tour Bus | Lincoln BIG

Trains operated by LNER run from Lincoln railway station to London King’s Cross
Cheap train tickets London Kings Cross to Lincoln | LNER
and to many other cities using LNER and other train operators

Uber operates in Lincoln, but Lyft does not.

Provisional schedule and music list

Draft schedule subject to change:

* attendance at all rehearsals and services is mandatory for choir members. Excursions are optional but encouraged; they’re great times for making friends!

Friday July 25 - Saturday July 26 - Travel
Fly to Heathrow Airport (overnight)

Saturday July 26
1.00pm group bus departs Heathrow Airport to Lincoln

Sunday July 27
Attend services at Lincoln Cathedral: 10.30am Sung Eucharist (Holy Communion with choir and 3.45pm Evensong

Monday July 28
morning rehearsal followed by guided tour of Lincoln Cathedral *
3.45pm rehearsal at Lincoln Cathedral
5.30pm singing for Evensong
RADCLIFFE Responses
Psalm 145 YouTube
Psalm 146 YouTube
HOGAN Washington Service
HOWELLS My eyes for beauty pine
6.30pm group dinner at Lincoln Hotel

Tuesday July 29 
morning and afternoon visit to Doddington Hall - lunch included *
3.45pm rehearsal at Lincoln Cathedral
5.30pm singing for Evensong    
RADCLIFFE Responses
Psalms tba
WOOD Evening Service in D
BAIRSTOW Save us, O Lord

Wednesday July 30   
possible morning rehearsal tba    
3.45pm rehearsal at Lincoln Cathedral
5.30pm singing for Evensong
RADCLIFFE Responses
Psalm 149 YouTube
Psalm 150 YouTube
SUMSION Evening Service in A
FAURE Cantique de Jean Racine

Thursday July 31            
Day trip to Cambridge *

Friday August 1            
12noon Group lunch at Ole, Ole (Spanish tapas)
3.45pm rehearsal at Lincoln Cathedral
5.30pm singing for Evensong
RADCLIFFE Responses
Psalm 1 YouTube
Psalm 2 YouTube
ANDREWS Evening Service in D
BRUCKNER Locus iste

Saturday August 2         
morning rehearsal time tba
3.45pm rehearsal at Lincoln Cathedral
5.30pm singing for Evensong
RADCLIFFE Responses
Psalm 3 YouTube
Psalm 4 YouTube
KELLY Evening Service in C
CAMPBELL Sing we merrily

Sunday August 3            
9.00am rehearsal at Lincoln Cathedral
10.30am singing for Sung Eucharist
HOWELLS Communion Service Collegium Regale
Psalm tba
TALLIS O sacrum convivium
2.00pm rehearsal at Lincoln Cathedral
3.45pm Evensong
RADCLIFFE Responses
Psalm tba
HOWELLS Evening Service in G
SHEPHARD And when the builders
Following Evensong group bus travels to Heathrow. Dinner en route
Stay at Heathrow hotel

Monday August 4 - Travel
Return flight to Houston (morning flight will arrive in Houston afternoon/evening)

Cost includes:

Hotel accommodation for 8 nights at the Lincoln Hotel including cooked buffet “English” breakfast and 1 night at a Heathrow airport hotel

Admission to Lincoln Castle and Doddington Hall; Two group meals

Bus transportation costs to/from Heathrow, and on excursions are covered by St. Paul’s Choir fund.

TOTAL COST OF TRIP

Single room at hotels: $1,600 per person  

Sharing twin room (one couple, or two singles) at hotels: $1,200 per person

Family of four (including two children) sharing two adjoining twin rooms: $1,000 per person      

Commitment required by All Saints Sunday with 20% deposit paid to Choir fund

2nd payment of 30% by St. Paul’s Day, January 26

Final payment of 50% due by Easter, April 20, 2025

PAYMENT METHODS

Payments can be made by giving a check to Pam Rowe. Checks should be made payable to “St. Paul’s United Methodist Church” with “England Residency” in the memo line.

Electronic payments can be made at www.stpaulshouston.org/give - payments can be made by credit/debit card (there is a small service charge), or by ACH direct draft (no service charge). Select “One Time” for the payment, and “Other” for the fund. Use “+Note” (to the right of the amount box) to indicate “St. Paul’s Choir England Residency”.

Most recent residency

St. Paul’s Choir was in residence at Truro Cathedral, U.K., from July 25 - 31, 2022, and at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London on August 1, 2022.

Past Choral Residencies and Tours

2022 – Truro Cathedral (Residency) and St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
2016 – St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Residency)
2011 – Exeter Cathedral (Residency)
2007 – Ely Cathedral (Residency)
2004 – John Wesley’s Chapel, London, and Southwark Cathedral, London
2003 – Ely Cathedral, (Residency)
2001 – Washington National Cathedral, and St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, New York
1999 – St. Thomas Church, Leipzig and York Minster (Residency)
1997 – St. Alban’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey (Residency)
1992 – Westminster Abbey (Residency)
1989 – Westminster Abbey (Residency)
1987 – St. Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, York Minster, St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey