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New Vicar Choral appointed at Belfast Cathedral

Monday October 19th 2026

The Rev Julie Bell.

The appointment of the Rev Julie Bell as Vicar Choral at St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, was announced by Dean Stephen Forde on Sunday October 18.

The Dean said the position of Vicar Choral is significant in the life of the Cathedral.

Julie has a First-Class Honours Degree in Music from Queen’s University Belfast, specialising in violin performance. She has also been Principal Violinist with the Ulster Youth Orchestra. Julie progressed to obtain an MA with Distinction in Baroque Music from Queen’s, and is also an accomplished church organist, most recently at St Malachi’s Parish, Hillsborough.

After three years study at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in Dublin, Julie was ordained to the curacy of Christ Church Lisburn in 2015, where she served in full-time ministry for three years when she was appointed to a post at Down Cathedral and the Lecale Area Mission Partnership (LAMP), working with music at Down Cathedral and in pastoral ministry with the 13 churches which make up LAMP.

Dean Forde said that since 2025, as a peripatetic musician, Julie has been an invaluable assistant to Belfast Cathedral’s Master of Music, Mr Jack Wilson, strengthening and developing the Cathedral’s music department. In particular, she has already contributed significantly to the musical development of the Cathedral’s choristers and choristers’ choir.

As Vicar Choral, Julie will become a full member of the Cathedral clergy team, with a priority focus not only on the musical development of the choristers, but also the pastoral care of the choristers, chorister families and choir members.

Julie also serves as a member of the central Church of Ireland’s Liturgical Advisory Committee.

“Julie is a person of deep personal faith and integrity. She cares passionately, not only about music within the worshipping life of the church, but also about the people who serve the church through music,” Dean Forde said.

“She has a winning way with our choristers and will bring both her musicianship and her pastoral care to this new role as Vicar Choral at Belfast Cathedral.

“With great pleasure, I look forward to sharing this next phase in the life of St Anne’s Cathedral with Julie, as together we strengthen the life and witness of this Cathedral in partnership with the staff, the members of the music department, and the parishioners of this very special place.”

A Service of Installation will take place within the morning service on Sunday November 22.

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