Mosaic on the facade of Bremen Cathedral showing the crucifixion of Christ - Photo: © Joaquim Alves Gaspar, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Passiontide at Merton

"The Passiontide Festival at Merton College, Oxford, remains one of the treasures among musical events heralding Easter. Its choir is now rightly famed as one of the best in Oxford and Cambridge." - Church Times

The Passiontide at Merton 2026 Festival will run from March 27-29. Tickets available soon!

 

The festival

“an unmissable event on Oxford’s musical calendar”
BBC Music Magazine

A three-day festival of concerts, talks and services, the annual Passiontide at Merton festival is a highlight of Oxford's musical year.

The first Passiontide at Merton festival took place in 2010. The festival has become a popular musical and liturgical event, attracting a large following, with many visitors staying in the College for the duration of the festival. The festival usually takes place over the Palm Sunday weekend.

Although the resident College Choir is the featured ensemble, visiting performers have included The Tallis Scholars, The Marian Consort, Oxford Baroque, Carducci Quartet, Emma Kirkby, and Elin Manahan Thomas. A number of works have been premièred at the festival, including Gabriel Jackson’s The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ and Emily Levy’s In Paradisum.

Festival tickets

Festival and Event Tickets for 2026 will be released in due course. Please see below for an example of our residential ticket offering in previous years:

Single room for one guest or Twin room for two guests including:

  • Tickets and reserved seats for all festival events
  • Breakfast, lunch, and the Festival dinner on Saturday
  • Breakfast and lunch on Sunday
  • A drinks reception with the artists on Sunday evening

Non-residential festival tickets:

  • Tickets and reserved seats for all festival events
  • Lunch and the festival dinner on Saturday
  • Lunch on Sunday
  • A drinks reception with the artists on Sunday evening

 

Services 2026

Friday 27 March

17.00                      Choral Evensong 

                                Choir of Merton College

                                Benjamin Nicholas conductor

Saturday 28 March

11.00                     Choral Matins

                              Girl Choristers and Lower Voices

                              Benjamin Nicholas conductor    

18.00                     Choral Evensong

                              Choir of Merton College

                              Benjamin Nicholas conductor

Sunday 29 March

10.30                     Procession and Sung Eucharist for Palm Sunday

                              Choir of Merton College

                              Benjamin Nicholas conductor

Concerts 2026

Friday 27 March

13.00                    TBC

19.30                    TBC

 

Saturday 28 March

14.30                     TBC

                              TBC

Sunday 29 March

18.00                    JS Bach: St Matthew Passion

                             Choir of Merton College

                             The Choristers of Merton College

                             Instruments of Time & Truth

                             Ruairi Bowen, Evangelist

                             Giles Underwood, Christus

                             Henry Neill, Pilate & Bass Arias

                             Hannah Dienes-Williams, Soprano

                             Kathryn Rudge, Alto

                             Simon Wall, Tenor

                             Benjamin Nicholas conductor