During the first week of June 2010, Colin Smith (a former organist and choirmaster at St Nicolas’) brought a choir from his church in Norway to visit Cheltenham.

The choir was started in 1982 by one of Colin’s predecessors and was built up on Anglican lines with choir members in cassock and surplice. The choir took many ideas from English liturgy and choir tradition, not least regular evensong which the choir continues to sing every month, practically the only choir in Norway to do so. They also sing an annual ‘Nine lessons and carols’ service at Christmas. Otherwise the choir sings regularly at the services at Gamle Aker church which is the only surviving medieval church in the city (and indeed the oldest building of any sort in Oslo). They have had many trips abroad, and have sung in St Peter’s Rome and in St Petersburg.

On Friday 4th June at 5.30pm the choir sang Evensong in Gloucester Cathedral and then on Saturday 5th June at 6pm they sang Evensong in St Mary’s church in Prestbury. They were also present for the Sung Eucharist in St Nicolas’ on Sunday 6th June at 9.30am.  The anthem on this occasion was For the Beauty of the Earth by John Rutter.