New choir's songs to be based on 10th Century book

A Devon cathedral is recruiting a new community choir to write and perform songs based on a 10th Century book of riddles.

Exeter Cathedral is looking for people to join the project, to create music based on The Book of Riddles - thought to be the oldest surviving book of English literature in the world.

The project will be a partnership between the community choir and local band Jack Dean and Company, who have written a new musical based on the book.

Singer Jack Dean said the collaboration would make songs inspired by riddles in the book "some of which are humorous, some religious [and] some still unsolved - all of them are poetic and playful".

Mr Dean said the book was a "really rich starting point" and would provide a "welcoming space" for singing, creativity and making music.

He said the community choir and his band would perform a "work-in-progress performance" at the end of the project.

The new choir was open to adults aged 18 and over of all singing abilities, Exeter Cathedral said.

Lis Spencer, community outreach officer at the cathedral, said: "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 song writing."

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