St Asaph Cathedral was honoured to host the Royal Maundy Service, an historic occasion marking the first time the service has been held in North Wales and only the second time, in its 600‑year history, that it has taken place in Wales.
The Cathedral was filled for the service, which brought together music, ceremony and national heritage on a remarkable scale. The Choir of St Asaph Cathedral was joined by the Choir of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, creating a powerful musical partnership for this special occasion. The service was conducted jointly by Paul Booth, Director of Music at St Asaph Cathedral, and Tim Horton, Director of Music of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal.
Before the arrival of Their Majesties, the service started with the ceremonial procession of the Yeomen of the Guard into the Cathedral followed with a fanfare performed by four State Trumpeters, setting the tone for the royal arrival.
The King’s procession into the Cathedral was led by the Cross of Wales, a gift from His Majesty to the Church in Wales. The Cross contains two fragments of the True Cross, gifted to the King by Pope Francis. As the procession moved through the Cathedral, the congregation sang Praise to the Holiest, including a new descant specially composed for the occasion by Paul Booth.
Music played a central role throughout the service, with a deliberate emphasis on Welsh composers to mark the significance of the Royal Maundy Service taking place in Wales. The Choir of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal undertook the challenge of learning Psalm 138 in Welsh, singing alongside the Cathedral Choir to a newly composed psalm chant by former St Asaph chorister Paul Mealor. Written both for this service and for future use, the chant formed one of many musical highlights of the day.
The versicles and responses were by Welsh composer Thomas Tomkins, born in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, in 1572. A setting of He Prayeth Best Who Loveth Best by Morfydd Owen, arranged by Paul Booth for soloist, duet and full choir, was also sung. Ave Verum by William Mathias — who is buried within the Cathedral grounds — was also sung during the distribution.
During the distribution of the Maundy Money, the choirs sang a selection of familiar and much‑loved works, including Drop, Drop, Slow Tears by Orlando Gibbons, Zadok the Priest by George Frideric Handel, and Wash Me Throughly by Samuel Sebastian Wesley.
A new work by Paul Mealor, A Sacred Benediction, was composed especially for the Royal Maundy Service and performed by both choirs with soloist Rebecca Evans CBE, accompanied by the King’s Harpist, Mared Pugh‑Evans.
The service concluded with both the Welsh and English national anthems sung by a packed Cathedral. As Their Majesties processed out, the Brass Ensemble from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama performed The Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare by Richard Strauss, arranged by Paul Mealor for the Coronation of Their Majesties in 2023. This was followed by March Heroique by Sir Herbert Brewer, played on the Cathedral organ by Christopher Enston.
Following the service, while The King and Queen met members of the Cathedral Chapter and community outside the Cathedral, the atmosphere remained celebratory. Children from the Denbighshire Music Cooperative entertained the assembled crowds with their Fusion Band, their music forming the soundtrack to video footage shared later on the Royal Family social media channels.
The Royal Maundy Service at St Asaph Cathedral was a moment of profound significance for the Cathedral, the Diocese, and the wider community, celebrating faith, service and Welsh musical heritage at the heart of a national occasion.
The Cathedral Choir is now working hard to raise funds in support of its forthcoming visit to the Lombardy region of Italy. This comes at the end of an exceptionally demanding period, as the choir moved straight from the historic Royal Maundy service into the full programme of traditional Easter weekend liturgies. It’s been a whirlwind of rehearsals, processions, and music-making, all delivered with the kind of commitment that keeps these centuries‑old traditions alive. With barely a moment to pause, the choir is now channelling that same energy into preparing for their overseas visit, ensuring that the cathedral’s musical heritage will be proudly represented abroad.
Written by Kyle Curzon-Ellis, Local Ambassador for St Asaph.
