Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir was formed by Fridrik Walker, a Vicar Choral, at the end of 1986 to provide a choir for Midnight Eucharist on Christmas Eve. There were initially twenty six singers. The choir was subsequently asked to sing the special services held at Epiphany, on Ash Wednesday and Ascension Day. As the professional cathedral choir undertook more concerts and foreign tours, the voluntary choir was asked to sing over the week-ends of half term, the beginning and end of school holidays, the run up to Christmas and Low Sunday. In the last few years the choir has been singing an average of fifty services in the cathedral each year. The choir, or a smaller chamber group, also sings by arrangement for weddings, funerals, special services and occasional concerts in the cathedral and elsewhere.

In 1988 the directorship was taken over by Roger Wakeling who had just joined the Vicars Choral, having been director of music at St. Audries School. When Roger was forced to give up through ill health at the end of 1991, Katie Varcoe, the organ scholar, stepped in and the choir enjoyed having its first lady at the helm. However her time at Wells came to an end in July 1992. John Brooks from New York and a Vicar Choral was director for the 1992-93 academic year before moving on to become a lay clerk at Gloucester Cathedral.

Having a director from among the mostly transient Cathedral Music Department had its drawbacks for the choir so it was pleased when Dudley Holroyd agreed to take on the directorship in September 1993 for a minimum three-year contract. The former organist and master of the choristers of Bath Abbey, a professional music lecturer and Association Board examiner with considerable conducting skills, was also well known to the Voluntary Choir having been its regular organist from the outset. Under his direction, the choir developed considerably.

Following a survey conducted by the choir into how other cathedrals coped when their own choir was unavailable the Association of Cathedral Voluntary Choirs was founded in Wells. Cathedral voluntary choirs from Derby, Exeter, Guildford, Peterborough, Truro, Worcester and Wells (170 singers) took part in the inaugural evensong and concert on 26th April 1997.

In August 1998 Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir went to Hereford to undertake its first week in residence at another cathedral. This was a great success and members particularly enjoyed the long daily rehearsals which allowed for greater attention to detail, the opportunity to get to know each other and time to discover common interests apart from singing. The choir is drawn from a wide area (throughout the Diocese and into Dorset, Wiltshire and Bristol) and not everyone is able to linger at The Fountain after Thursday rehearsals for a drink and a chat. Being together for a week strengthened the fellowship of the choir and it was decided to repeat the exercise. In August 1999 the choir was at Chichester Cathedral, in 2000 at Ripon and in 2001 at St. David's Cathedral in Pembrokeshire. In April 2002 the choir visited Bad Durkheim, Wells Twin Town in the Palatinate, where it gave a concert and sang the Sunday service in the Schlosskirche. The choir also gave a concert in Kaiserslautern Stiftskirche. In July 2003 the choir was in residence for a week at Lincoln Cathedral, in 2004 at Ely, in 2005 at Winchester, in 2006 at Canterbury, in 2007 at Truro, in 2008 at York Minster, in 2009 at Norwich, in 2010 at Worcester and in 2011 at Salisbury.  Durham is the destination of the choir in 2012 followed by Exeter in 2013.

The choir celebrated the millennium in an anno domini way by singing all the psalms on Saturday 28th April 2001. They were joined in this venture by the voluntary choir from Salisbury Cathedral and the choir of St. Mary, Bathwick, Bath. Starting at 8.30 am, with a break for Evensong, Psalm 150 was completed just after 9 pm.

On 2nd June 2003 the choir organised a re-enactment of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in Wells Cathedral. The children of Year Five at Wells Central Junior School took the parts of the dignitaries using the original words of the service in Westminster Abbey. The commentary, as given for those watching the BBC broadcast in 1953 was delivered by Canon Bowman-Eadie. The service was attended by the Vice Lord Lieutenant for Somerset, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Benjamin Bathurst, the Mayor of Wells and many leading Councillors from throughout the county. Members of the public and local schoolchildren helped fill the cathedral, with many of them dressing up to represent an original guest.

Membership of the choir is by audition and dependant upon vacancies. There are currently 33 members divided between Decani and Cantoris. A reasonable standard of sight-reading is necessary in order to learn the choir's relatively wide repertoire of church music, both ancient and modern. Special delight has always been taken in the singing of the psalms. Rehearsals are held throughout the year on Thursday evenings from 7.45 to 9.15 pm.