On Friday, June 13, 2025, Christ Church Cathedral will be hosting Beer and Hymns. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m.
Beer and Hymns is an old-fashioned hymn singalong with a twist. Guests will be treated to an evening of singing hymns, accompanied by the cathedral’s mighty Hellmuth Wolff organ, Victoria’s largest musical instrument. The organ turns twenty this year and the cathedral has proclaimed 2025 the year of the organ. This evening of beer and hymns is part of a series of events to celebrate the organ and raise funds for its repair.
Alongside the hymn singing, the cathedral’s concession stand will be stocked with beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks. There will also be an opportunity to bid on your favourite hymn to make sure it gets included in the setlist.
“Last year we tried this for the first time,” says Christ Church Cathedral’s director of music, Donald Hunt. “It was so wonderful to see members of Victoria’s diverse communities come together in song that we couldn’t resist doing it again.”
Jonathan Thomas, the cathedral’s dean, sees the unique format of Beer and Hymns as an important part of the cathedral’s presence in the city. “Christ Church Cathedral is a spiritual home to several hundred Anglicans, but it is also ‘a cathedral for the city’ – a role we take seriously. Whether you’re a life-long churchgoer and hymn-singer or this is your first time in a church building, this event is for you, and you are welcome here.”
Members of all faith groups, including those who do not subscribe to any religion, are invited to this all-ages event, which should wrap up around 9 p.m. Admission is by donation, with proceeds supporting the ministries of the cathedral.
