On Saturday, 7 November 2026, the Church of the Holy Prince Lazar – Lazarica in Birmingham hosted the Sixth Festival of Sacred Music, bringing together church choirs, conductors, cantors, the faithful, and numerous admirers of Orthodox sacred music.
The festival was organized with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Nektarije of London and Great Britain-Ireland, whose paternal care and support serve as a great encouragement for the preservation and development of Orthodox spirituality and church music in Great Britain.
This year’s festival brought together five choirs, whose performances showcased the richness and beauty of the sacred musical heritage.
The following ensembles performed at the festival:
The Children’s Choir of the Church of the Holy Prince Lazar – Lazarica, Birmingham
The Romanoff Foundation Choir – Oxford
St John of Shanghai Men’s Choir – London
The Choir of Hendon St Mary – London
The Choir of the Church of the Holy Prince Lazar – Lazarica, Birmingham
In the solemn and prayerful atmosphere of the church, the voices of the choirs filled Lazarica with spiritual beauty, testifying that liturgical chanting is not merely a musical art, but above all a prayer and an expression of a living faith.
A source of particular joy was the performance by the youngest members of the Lazarica Children’s Choir, who demonstrated through their voices that love for the Church and sacred music is nurtured from earliest childhood.
The celebration was also attended by members of the distinguished British Cadbury family, which lent special significance to the event and reaffirmed once again that sacred music unites people of diverse nations, traditions, and cultures.
The rector of the Church of the Holy Prince Lazar, Protopresbyter-Stavrofor Nenad Popović, expressed his gratitude to Bishop Nektarije for his archpastoral blessing and support, to all the choirs and their conductors for their participation, and to everyone whose efforts contributed to the organization of the festival.
He extended special thanks to the conductor Dragana Zebić and the members of the Lazarica Choir, who prepared for this musical event with exceptional dedication, spending up to six hours at rehearsals.
In his address, Father Nenad emphasized:
“Sacred music is not merely an art. It is a prayer born in the human heart that ascends to God. When we sing to the Lord, we offer Him the finest we possess – our faith, our love, and our soul. Thus, every sacred song is at the same time a testament to our faith.”
As a token of gratitude for their participation and contribution to the festival, the choirs were presented with certificates of appreciation.
The Sixth Festival of Sacred Music in Birmingham demonstrated once again that the Church of the Holy Prince Lazar serves as a vital centre of Orthodox spiritual and cultural life in Great Britain.
This blessed gathering will be remembered as a celebration of sacred music, fellowship, and brotherly love, with the hope that the festival will continue to bring together choirs and lovers of church chanting in the years to come.
May all that was sung that evening be to the glory of God, to the joy of the Church, and for the spiritual benefit of all present.
