Ely Cathedral Octagon Singers (ECOS)

The Ely Cathedral Octagon Singers is the Cathedral’s adult voluntary choir. An integral part of the Cathedral’s musical life, ECOS sings at Choral Evensong, Sunday Eucharist, and at many special services through the course of the liturgical year; the choir also performs as part of the Cathedral’s busy concert calendar.

ECOS prides itself on being an enthusiastic and friendly group. The repertoire is broad and ranges from Gregorian chant through to newly composed works written for the choir. Members are experienced amateur singers and standards are high. Singers sign up to undertake as many events as they can, with a minimum requirement of two services per academic term. There is no regular weekly rehearsal: most preparation is done on the day of a service, allowing members as much flexibility as possible.

The choir embarked on its first international tour in October 2023 (to Germany), and ECOS regularly works with high-profile visiting conductors, including in recent years Barry Rose, David Hill and Christopher Robinson.