Worcester Chapel is a place to sit, to breathe, to pray, to worship, to take time and be a little bit more human again. Everyone is welcome in the Chapel – of any faith or none – and our chaplaincy and music teams engage with students, staff and visitors across the College.
Our choral services, based in the rites of the Church of England, are likewise open to everyone – whether faith is new or familiar or totally alien to you, and whatever life-story you bring as you join us. Our aim is to offer peace and hope and a few moments with eternity as we come before God together day by day. Our hope is that our whole community might find a safe space and an inspiration in our music and our prayers.
Worcester Chapel is home to a varied and dynamic music programme of services, concerts, and other events, anchored around our phenomenal Choir. Worcester is unique in Oxford in maintaining a choral tradition in which alto, tenor, and bass choral scholars are joined alternately by adult sopranos and boy trebles. The Choir has a particular affinity for contemporary music and is proud to be part of a rich heritage of composition in the College, whose Music fellows have always been distinguished composers.
Do get in contact with us if you have any questions about Chapel services, music or faith. You can also find us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
Your faith in Oxford
Oxford is a superb place in which to explore your faith, with a diverse community and many faiths peacefully co-existing and supporting the local community. The University’s Muslim Chaplain is based here at Worcester, and you can find support from University Chaplains representing 10 faiths and denominations.
At Worcester, we celebrate the wide range of cultures and beliefs our students bring to Oxford. Like all the best celebrations, these often revolve around food. As well as the traditional Latin grace before formal meals, we also have a selection of thanksgiving texts from other languages and belief systems. We also often host special events for festivals such as Diwali, Eid and Hanukkah.
Multi-faith prayer room
While the Chapel is open to all, we appreciate that some people will prefer a neutral space for their personal or communal worship in the tradition of other faiths. Our multi-faith prayer room is available 24/7 for Worcester students. It is equipped with mats, cushions and screens, is adjacent to washrooms and a shoe store, and has a library of sacred and theological texts chosen by current students.
Worship in the Chapel
Our choral services, based in the rites of the Church of England, are likewise open to everyone – whether faith is new or familiar or totally alien to you, and whatever life-story you bring as you join us. Our aim is to offer peace and hope and a few moments with eternity as we come before God together day by day. Our hope is that our whole community might find a safe space and an inspiration in our music and our prayers.
Music in the Chapel
Worcester Chapel is home to a varied and dynamic music programme of services, concerts, and other events, anchored around our phenomenal Choir. Worcester is unique in Oxford in maintaining a choral tradition in which alto, tenor, and bass choral scholars are joined alternately by adult sopranos and boy trebles. The Choir has a particular affinity for contemporary music and is proud to be part of a rich heritage of composition in the College, whose Music fellows have always been distinguished composers.
History of the Chapel
People have worshipped on the site of Worcester College for over seven hundred years. The current Chapel is a breath-taking space decorated with paintings, statutes, stained glass and mosaic. It was designed by the Victorian artist and architect William Burges in the 1860s within the shell of an eighteenth-century Chapel erected on the College’s foundation. Burges’ decorative scheme includes all sorts of hidden meanings and fanciful features, meaning every time you visit the Chapel you’re likely to see something you haven’t noticed before.