Following St James’ Way: a roving chamber choir on its journey
A Devon based choir is celebrating the end of its season having walked part of the ancient ‘Camino de Santiago’ in Hampshire. The route is also known as the St James’ Way.
The Exeter Philharmonic Choir stopped enroute to give concerts at three ancient parish churches in Old Alresford, Itchen Abbas and Hyde.
The choir’s four day pilgrimage started from Upper Wield near Alresford and ended with a concert on Sunday 3rd August at the Chapel of the Hospital of St Cross in the historic pilgrimage city of Winchester.
Some 40 members of Exeter Philharmonic Choir, led by EPC’s Associate Director of Music Stephen Tanner, took part in the Choral Pilgrimage.
The team said it was a chance for the singers to spend a few days together walking, and performing, whilst exploring a different part of the country.
Hampshire’s ‘Camino de Santiago’ recreates the historic English pilgrimage from Reading to Southampton, linking to the Camino Inglés (English Way) in Spain.
Designed for modern-day pilgrims, it allows walkers to follow in the footsteps of those who travelled from England to Santiago de Compostela.
Exeter Philharmonic Choir’s Summer Concert (2025). Photography: Martin Stubbings (provided by IF Media).
‘Singing as a smaller ‘roving chamber choir’
‘This is the choir’s fourth Choral Pilgrimage,’ explains Ann Weiler. ‘Singing as a smaller ‘roving chamber choir’ is a very different experience to singing as a 100-strong city choir as we usually do in venues like Exeter Cathedral.’
‘Last autumn a similar number of us packed our song sheets to travel to Northern Spain. This year, we’re remaining on home turf, yet travelling part of an ancient route that led the English pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela.’
Breaktime News has previously reported on the renowned London Mozart Players accompanying Exeter Philharmonic Choir at their recent All-Mozart concert.
