THE CONTEMPORARY CHOIR PRESENTS: BY CANDLELIGHT 

Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd Jan 2027

Times - 7:30 show start. 10pm finish

Nearly 400 voices. A live string quartet. Hundreds of candles. And one of the country’s most breathtaking spaces.

On Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd January 2027, The Contemporary Choir comes to the magnificent Coventry Cathedral for By Candlelight - two extraordinary evenings of music, light and atmosphere.

Led by Paul and Melissa Asbridge, The Contemporary Choir has grown since 2018 into a thriving community of nearly 400 singers across Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon, becoming known for ambitious performances, beautiful harmonies and concerts that are as much about the experience as they are the music.

Following their performance at Birmingham’s iconic Symphony Hall, the choir now takes on an entirely different setting - surrounded by the soaring architecture and spectacular stained glass of Coventry Cathedral.

By Candlelight has been created to make the most of this remarkable space.

Hundreds of flickering candles, immersive show and architectural lighting and the sound of a live string quartet will transform the Cathedral, as hundreds of voices fill the building with rich, soaring harmony.

The programme journeys through Disney, pop, rock and musical theatre, with music from Tarzan, Aladdin, Cinderella, Mulan, Frozen and Paddington The Musical, alongside songs made famous by Adele, Elton John, Ed Sheeran, The Beach Boys, Elbow and Meat Loaf.

Featuring custom-written SSATB arrangements created for The Contemporary Choir, familiar songs are reimagined on an enormous scale - from delicate, intimate moments accompanied by strings to the huge wall of sound created by hundreds of voices singing together.

This is a concert designed to be felt as much as heard: atmospheric, uplifting and, at times, deeply moving.

And at the heart of the evening is an important cause. All profits from By Candlelight will be donated to The Myton Hospices, supporting the extraordinary work they do for people and families across our local community. Myton volunteers will also be joining us at the Cathedral, with opportunities to donate during the evening.

Join us beneath the stained glass, surrounded by candlelight, for two unforgettable nights at Coventry Cathedral.

The Contemporary Choir: By Candlelight
Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd January 2027
Coventry Cathedral

***Please note that this performance will feature dynamic and flashing show lighting throughout; however, no strobe lighting will be used.

COACH TRAVEL TO COVENTRY CATHEDRAL & PARKING INFO

Allow us to take the stress out of driving and parking! Our return coach service will take you from Stratford-upon-Avon or Warwick and drop you directly outside Coventry Cathedral, with return coaches after the concert.

If you prefer to drive, the closest public parking is Salt Lane Multi-Storey Car Park.

⚠️ PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE BOOKING

There are different coach departure times depending on which concert you are attending and whether you are an audience or cast member, so please make sure you select the correct ticket.

All coach tickets are RETURN tickets, even if you only intend to use the coach for the outbound journey.

CHOIR MEMBERS: If you need coach travel on both Friday and Saturday, you can purchase both tickets in the same transaction. Only the coach tickets relevant to the concert date you are currently viewing will be displayed. Simply add your Friday coach ticket to your basket, then click onto the Saturday concert and add your Saturday coach ticket before checking out.

AUDIENCE MEMBERS

FRIDAY 22ND JANUARY

Outbound to Coventry Cathedral

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON -  6:15pm departure
From Stratford Leisure Centre Car Park
Bridgeway, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6YX

WARWICK -  6:30pm departure
From Warwick Bus Station
Bowling Green Street, Warwick, CV34 4EA

Return after the concert

Return coaches will depart Coventry Cathedral at:

10:15pm and 10:30pm

Both departure times will have coaches travelling to Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick, so you may take either return time.

Please make sure you check the destination of your coach before boarding.

SATURDAY 23RD JANUARY

On Saturday, audience and cast members will travel together.

Outbound to Coventry Cathedral

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON - 6:00pm departure
From Stratford Leisure Centre Car Park
Bridgeway, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6YX

WARWICK - 6:15pm departure
From Warwick Bus Station
Bowling Green Street, Warwick, CV34 4EA

Return after the concert

Return coaches will depart Coventry Cathedral at:

10:15pm and 10:30pm

Both departure times will have coaches travelling to Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick, so you may take either return time.

Please make sure you check the destination of your coach before boarding.

CAST /  CHOIR MEMBERS

⚠️ IMPORTANT - FRIDAY CAST COACHES DEPART EARLIER

Choir members travelling by coach on Friday MUST book the earlier CAST MEMBER coach to ensure you arrive in time for the required pre-show preparations.

FRIDAY 22ND JANUARY

Outbound to Coventry Cathedral

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON - 3:15pm departure
From Stratford Leisure Centre Car Park
Bridgeway, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6YX

WARWICK - 3:30pm departure
From Warwick Bus Station
Bowling Green Street, Warwick, CV34 4EA

Return after the concert

Return coaches will depart Coventry Cathedral at:

10:15pm and 10:30pm

Both departure times will have coaches travelling to Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick, so you may take either return time.

Please make sure you check the destination of your coach before boarding.

SATURDAY 23RD JANUARY

On Saturday, cast and audience members will travel together.

Outbound to Coventry Cathedral

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON - 6:00pm departure
From Stratford Leisure Centre Car Park
Bridgeway, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6YX

WARWICK - 6:15pm departure
From Warwick Bus Station
Bowling Green Street, Warwick, CV34 4EA

Return after the concert

Return coaches will depart Coventry Cathedral at:

10:15pm and 10:30pm

Both departure times will have coaches travelling to Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick, so you may take either return time.

Please make sure you check the destination of your coach before boarding.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Please double-check that you have selected:

✓ The correct concert date
✓ Stratford-upon-Avon OR Warwick
✓ Audience OR Cast departure on Friday

Saturday coaches are shared by audience and cast members.

All coach tickets are sold as return journeys, regardless of whether you intend to use the return leg.

🕯️ Light Up By Candlelight

This January, we’re filling the magnificent Coventry Cathedral with hundreds of flickering candles for The Contemporary Choir: By Candlelight - and we’d love your help to light them. Help us fill Coventry Cathedral with hundreds of beautiful flickering candles and become part of our By Candlelight experience.

🕯️Add £5 Or More - Dedicate A Candle

Leave a personal message in memory of someone special, in celebration, or simply for someone you love. Your dedication will be displayed on our screens in the Cathedral foyer during the concert weekend.

✨ Donate £2 - Add A Little Light

Simply want to contribute towards our candle installation? A £2 donation will help us create the beautiful candlelit setting for By Candlelight.

Please note: Dedications are available for donations of £5 or more only. Messages submitted with donations under £5 will not be displayed.Once the cost of our candle installation has been covered, all remaining funds raised will be donated to The Myton Hospices, alongside all profits from the concerts.

One Cathedral. Hundreds of candles. Nearly 400 voices. And hundreds of reasons to light them.