Still singing after 40 years in Lichfield Cathedral Choir

Michael Guest has made more than 10,000 regular appearances as part of Lichfield Cathedral's choir at an average of six services a week.

After graduating from Manchester University and then Cambridge University with a degree in history, Mr Guest went into teaching before joining the cathedral as a lay vicar choral in June, 1977, aged 23.

Four decades on, and now 63, he is enjoying his job more than ever.

“I never imagined that I would still be here back when I started in 1977,” he said.

“I saw an advertisement in the Times Educational Supplement for a tenor and bass singer at the cathedral. As a lover of cathedral music, I knew this was what I wanted to do. Forty years later, the rest is history."

As well as his role as a senior lay vicar, he is also the intimator - keeping account of absences and attendances - for the cathedral choir, a prestigious position dating back to the Restoration.

Although Mr Guest has seen the cathedral change over the years, he says the work that it does within the community remains largely the same as when he started.

"We still do lots of charitable things to help those who need it the most and we continue to get thousands of visitors each year,” he said.

“In addition to the daily round of choral evensong and the weekly sung eucharist, we do an increasing number of special liturgies which often focus on particular interest groups, especially charitable ones.

“If anything, we get more people coming through the doors than ever before, particularly at great festivals, which is very encouraging and indicative of both the cathedral's great beauty and its spiritual attraction.”

The two biggest highlights of his career at Lichfield Cathedral took place in the same year – 1988 - when the Royal Maundy Service, when the Queen distributes Maundy money to local pensioners, was held at Lichfield Cathedral and the choir also visited Rome where they were presented to Pope John Paul II.

He says that what has kept him involved in the cathedral over the years has been the people. “I have met lots of incredibly committed and talented people over time, some of whom have become my closest friends,” he says.

“I am fully committed to my work with the choir and, although I have announced my attention to retire in October, I hope to continue appearing in the stalls as a deputy. When I’m not performing at Lichfield I always enjoy listening to choral services at other cathedrals and maintaining contacts with friends and colleagues in such choirs around the country.

"I also help out in the library as well as in the Flower Guild. It was always my dream to work at the cathedral and I’m so glad that it came true and that I am still here 40 years later.”