Sir Michael Morpurgo Returns to Exeter Cathedral for Poetry and Music Evening

Exeter Cathedral will host an evening of poetry and live music next week featuring acclaimed author Sir Michael Morpurgo, marking his return to the city following a sold-out reading last year.

The event, titled My Heart Was a Tree, will take place in the cathedral nave and draw inspiration from the British countryside and nature. 

Sir Michael will be joined by his wife Clare Morpurgo and Carol Hughes, widow of poet Ted Hughes, for a series of readings. Music will be provided by the Iddesleigh String Quartet, performing works by composers including Vivaldi, Vaughan Williams, Haydn and Max Richter.

The programme will include extracts from Sir Michael Morpurgo’s book My Heart Was a Tree, alongside poetry by Ted Hughes, whose work influenced the book’s title. 

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The event is being held to mark the 50th anniversary of Farms for City Children, the charity founded by Sir Michael and Lady Clare Morpurgo in 1976.

Based partly in Devon, Farms for City Children offers children and young people from urban areas the chance to live and work on farms for a week, regardless of their financial background. 

Over the past five decades, more than 100,000 children have taken part in the programme across the charity’s farms in Devon, Gloucestershire and Pembrokeshire.

Proceeds from the Exeter Cathedral event will be shared between the Exeter Cathedral Development Appeal and Farms for City Children. The event is sponsored by Rathbones.

Sir Michael and Clare Morpurgo said returning to Exeter Cathedral was particularly meaningful given the charity’s roots in Devon.

“Our first farm was here, and it feels very special to be back in Exeter celebrating 50 years since those first city children arrived in their wellies,” they said in a joint statement. 

“This evening brings together poetry, music and people who all share a deep connection to charity and to the natural world.”

Carol Hughes has long been associated with Farms for City Children, while the Iddesleigh String Quartet was founded in the Devon village where the charity’s first farm is based.

The Dean of Exeter, the Very Rev’d Jonathan Greener, said he was looking forward to welcoming Sir Michael back to the cathedral.

“Michael’s reading of War Horse here last year was one of the most memorable evenings I’ve experienced in Exeter,” he said. “This event will support two important causes – the future of the cathedral and a charity that has changed the lives of thousands of young people.”

The cathedral recently completed the first phase of its development project, with further fundraising needed to support ongoing conservation and accessibility work.

My Heart Was a Tree will be Sir Michael Morpurgo’s second appearance at Exeter Cathedral, following his 2024 reading of War Horse.

Tickets start from £15 for adults and £5 for children and are available via the Exeter Cathedral website.