HEREFORD Catherdal's choir had a private meeting with the Pope in the gardens of the Vatican after they performed at a Papal Mass.

The choir travelled to Italy to sing at the two-hour mass at the Feast of St Peter & Paul.

They then met Pope Francis, as did the Dean of Hereford Cathedral The Very Revd Michael Tavinor and the Bishop of Hereford The Right Revd Richard Frith.

The Anglican choir was invited by the Pope to perform at this service which celebrated the saints in front of a crowd said to be 125,000 in St Peter’s Square.

In temperatures approaching 30 degrees, the choir – comprising 13 boy choristers and 13 adults - performed See Me Lord, written by Richard Lloyd, a former organist at Hereford Cathedral and the William Byrd Motet, Cibavit Eos.

The mass was transmitted live on Vatican TV to a global audience of millions and, for much of the service, the choir sang alongside the Sistine Chapel Choir.

The Bishop of Hereford described meeting the Pope as "quite a moment, fantastic."

He added: "The Pope said pray for me, don’t forget - which I thought was rather lovely.

"It was a wonderful occasion. It was a day I shall remember for ever. It was such a joy to hear our Hereford choir leading the singing. We felt very proud of them. That was especially wonderful."

‘La Festa di San Pietro e Paolo’ is hugely important within the Catholic calendar and the day itself is a public holiday in Rome with many celebrations across the city.

The invitation to sing at the Papal Mass was received as part of the Pope’s ecumenical programme of creating dialogue respecting each church’s diversity, while also celebrating their common ground.

The Very Revd Michael Tavinor said: "We think we’re part of history. We felt today that we were playing our small part for the cause of Christian unity. Those choir boys will be telling their grandchildren about the day they came to Rome and sang for the Pope. It will always be with them. It will be with us all."

Geraint Bowen, the director of Music at Hereford Cathedral said it was an extraordinary experience.

Earlier this week, the Hereford Cathedral Choir earned a standing ovation when they gave a special performance at the Sistine Chapel.

When the applause had subsided, the Bishop of Hereford told the audience that the Sistine Chapel Choir was invited to make a reciprocal visit to Hereford.