Wells’ Choristers Celebrate Shrove Tuesday

Choristers at Wells Cathedral School took part in their annual pancake race along Vicars’ Close on Shrove Tuesday.

The pancake race is one of many traditions involving the School’s Choristers.

Vicars’ Close is a beautiful setting for the Choristers to test their flipping skills; the winners enjoy bragging rights for the year, but the race isn’t as easy as it looks!

Juliette Coakes, the School’s Chorister Coordinator, commented: ‘The Choristers look forward to Shrove Tuesday every year, in fact we all do. It is a wonderful tradition, watching the Choristers dressed in their cassocks, as they race with pan in hand flipping their pancakes up and down Vicars’ Close. It’s not all about the finishing line, but also seeing who can flip their pancake the highest whilst remaining upright as they race over the ancient cobbles. These special moments, captured in photographs over the years, will create lifelong memories for the children, the School and Cathedral.’

Alexander Hamilton, Acting Director of Music at Wells Cathedral, said: ‘Our Choristers work incredibly hard all year round preparing and performing music for the daily services in the Cathedral. However, alongside all our musical commitments, we try to have a great deal of fun, too, and the annual pancake race is definitely a highlight! The Choristers had a great time on Shrove Tuesday running up Vicars’ Close, flipping their pancakes as they went, and cheering each other on.’

Thanks were given to Jason Bryant for his marvellous photograph of the group mid-flip.

See Wells Cathedral’s online listing here.