Exeter Cathedral’s ancient book of riddles provides inspiration for new community choir
Exeter Cathedral is recruiting a new community songwriting choir that will write and perform songs inspired by its famous Exeter Book – a 10th century collection of riddles, thought to be the oldest surviving book of English literature in the world.
The ‘Book of Riddles Community Choir,’ is being formed in partnership with Devon-based band and artistic collective, Jack Dean & Company, who have written a new musical called ‘The Book of Riddles.’ The choir will be helping to write songs for the musical, before performing their songs at the cathedral.
For singer and writer Jack Dean, the Book of Riddles project is an opportunity to encourage local people to explore their creativity and create songs inspired by the origins of the Exeter Book. He explained:
“We will be making and rehearsing songs inspired by riddles in the Exeter Book, some of which are humorous, some are religious, some are still unsolved; all of them are poetic and playful. It is a really rich starting point. We want to offer people a friendly, welcoming space to come together to sing, be creative and make some music. At the end of the project, we will celebrate what we have been making and rehearsing with a work-in-progress performance.”
Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the new choir is open to adults aged 18 and over, of all singing abilities. The choir is to meet weekly to write and rehearse, and will be able to learn more about the story behind the famous book, with dedicated research sessions exploring Exeter Cathedral’s Library & Archive collections.
Lis Spencer, Community Outreach & Partnerships Officer at Exeter Cathedral, said the project is an excellent opportunity for Exeter residents to engage with their heritage:
“The Book of Riddles Project is an exciting opportunity to discover more about the Exeter Book – which is of great national and international importance – while also learning new skills including singing and songwriting.
“Even if you are not sure if singing is for you – all are welcome to come along and give it a go!”
Rehearsals for The Book of Riddles Community Choir will take place from 12 February – 23 April 2025 at 7pm. More information about the choir and how to sign up can be found at https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/whats-on/events/the-book-of-riddles-community-choir/.