The first Roman Catholic service in what is believed to be more than 450 years will take place in Bradford Cathedral next week.

The Bradford Roman Catholic Boys’ Choir will sing the Roman Catholic service of Vespers as part of a scheme to develop and strengthen Ecumenical Christian understanding in the city.

The cathedral has said the Vespers, the service from which the Anglican Evensong comes from, has not been sung in the building since the Reformation.

The Dean of Bradford, the Very Reverend Dr David Ison, said: “Over the last few years we have been looking at ways we could work more closely with our colleagues in the Roman Catholic Church, and in particular, by doing it through music.”

The service, led by Father John Newman, of St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, will take place at the cathedral at 5.30pm next Tuesday.

Dr Ison said: “When the Church of England split from the rest of the Roman Catholic Church it changed its services and Vespers turned into Evensong.

“The idea is that the Catholic choir will come and sing Vespers in the cathedral and then in a few months’ time the cathedral will go back and will sing the Anglican Evening Prayer in the Roman Catholic Church.

“Thirty-years-ago this would have been fairly unthinkable but it’s a sign of how we have grown together.”

For more information contact the cathedral office on (01274) 777720.