Former Chorister in Cedars Hall Concert

We're looking forward to this Wednesday's concert at 7pm in Cedars Hall when Wells Cathedral School's Brass Department joins forces with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama for 'an evening of exhilarating music for brass and percussion'. There will be items from Handel's Water and Fireworks Music, Rimsky-Korsakov's depiction of the Procession of the Nobles, Leonard Bernstein's soundtrack to the film On the Waterfront, and some surprise items by, amongst others, Deep Purple!

Amongst the RWCMD students will be former Wells Chorister, Robbie Wills, who is in his final year before heading off to the Royal Academy of Music for his Masters.

You can get tickets for only £10 (free for under-25s) HERE.

Recording a Hollywood Soundtrack!

This morning the Choristers had a great time recording for the score to the film, to be released later this year - watch this space! The beautiful, evocative music has been composed by Hollywood film composer, David Buckley. A former chorister of Wells himself, David was delighted to return once again to record the choir for one of his scores.

A Ceremony of Carols - Listen Again Now!

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you can listen again to the performance here

The Choristers' performance on Saturday 1 February of Britten's 'A Ceremony of Carols' was utterly captivating. Performing to a sell-out crowd, with Jeremy Cole conducting and Ruth Faber playing the harp, they together brought out the magic of this extraordinary work.

The Choristers' singing was committed and brilliant, and they clearly demonstrated their love of the music! Particular credit must go to the soloists: Sophie, Lloyd, Sophie, Meg, George, and Dan.

Thank you to the hundreds of people who came to hear them, gave the Choristers a well-deserved standing ovation, and supported the work of the Trust.

you can listen again to the performance here

The Iain Ball Chorister Appeal

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE APPEAL BROCHURE

At the end of 2019, we were very sorry to hear about the passing of Iain Ball MBE. Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust owes a huge debt of gratitude to Iain, who served from 2004 to 2014 as Chairman of the Trustees. During his period as Chairman, the Trust supported young choristers, enabling them to benefit from a unique musical education which might otherwise have been denied them. 

To mark their gratitude and appreciation for Iain’s commitment and dedication, the Trustees wish to provide an annual chorister award (The Iain Ball Chorister) by creating a fund of capital to be professionally managed. 

The Iain Ball Chorister Award will encourage generations of choristers to excel in their musical field, ever mindful of the fruits of Iain’s commitment.  

The Trustees are increasingly concerned that ‘every child’s voice should be heard’, and that every talented child regardless of their family’s financial circumstances, should be able to take up an offered chorister place at Wells Cathedral. 

We know some families are unable to take up offered places for financial reasons. These ’lost voices’ are central to the Trust’s campaign strategy, soon to be launched, in an attempt to preserve the unique tradition of English Cathedral Music at Wells. The Trust’s aim is to raise enough money to fully fund all thirty-six choristers.

Boys have sung in Wells Cathedral for over 1100 years; girls began in 1994. Day by day, the boy and girl choristers sing in their own treble lines with the men – the Vicars Choral. Occasionally they all sing together – the Great Choir.

With the support of our Royal Patron, HRH The Countess of Wessex, the Trust is determined that no child with musical talent should miss out on these opportunities for financial reasons. 

Arnold Wills 
Chairman of Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust
chairman@wcct.co.uk

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE APPEAL BROCHURE

Iain Ball [centre] welcomes HRH The Countess of Wessex to Wells Cathedral School on her first official visit in 2007

He has supported the whole choir through the opportunities for new and interesting music which Trust activities have given, and many people have had hours of quality entertainment through Trust events. And Iain is, above all else, generous. He shares his contacts and his friends – like Lady Marina – and he shares his hospitality. (He once told me that he believes it is a sacrament.) He thanks people warmly, quickly, and personally. He is trenchant, and he is kind. So he achieves things!

Helen [Iain's wife] has been a willing, generous and thoughtful ally and supporter through all these years, and needs our thanks as well. There are choristers now in the choir and the school who would not be there if it were not for Trust funding. There are young adult musicians making an impact for good in the world who started their musical careers in the choir because of the support of the Trust.

And perhaps his greatest success is that he leaves the leadership of the Trust at a point when it is both solid and developing, with clear ambition for the future, and the ability to realise that ambition. We owe Iain a great deal!

Elizabeth Cairncross
Former Principal, Wells Cathedral School

Promenade Concert in aid of WCCT

We are delighted that the Tallis Voices, conducted by Peter Leech, are again putting on a concert in aid of the Trust. The concert will be given as part of Wells Cathedral's series of Promenade Concerts. These take place throughout January when the nave has been cleared of all furniture, allowing the audience to wander through this wonderful medieval space.

The concert is at 7.00pm on Friday 17 January and is entitled Light of the World. It promises to be ‘a feast of Renaissance choral music, including music for Candlemas and the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary’ and is sure to be a wonderful treat.

Tickets are £10 and are available from the Cathedral Shop Box Office (01749 672773) or on the door.

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Chorister Painting Competition Winners

At the start of Advent, the Wells Cathedral Choristers were invited to submit a painting about ‘The Real Meaning of Christmas’ for a competition sponsored by the Trust. The competition was judged by Annie Maw, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset (pictured below). Annie was delighted to do this, not only because she has such a keen interest in the Choristers’ lives, but also art. There were two winners and three runners up, and the book-token prizes were presented by Director of Music, Jeremy Cole (all pictured above).

HM Lord-Lieutenant, Annie Maw judged the competition, and is pictured here holding the winning entries with the Cathedral Administrator, Jackie Croft (top left); Chairman of the Chorister Trust, Arnold Wills (top right); and Chorister Coordinator, Di Armstrong (bottom right).

And 'W' is for... Wells!

Fantastic to see Wells featured today as 'W' in the Friends of Cathedral Music's Advent Calendar... http://bit.ly/W4Wells

The FCM made a Small Revenue Grant earlier this year, to go towards chorister vocal tuition. This allowed the Cathedral to recruit a new Chorister Vocal Tutor, who provides singing lessons for all choristers throughout the week. According to Jeremy Cole, our newly appointed Director of Music, ‘This contribution has been a key part in our ability to set our choristers up to succeed with a focus on good vocal technique and vocal health throughout their time in Wells Cathedral Choir.’

Autumn / Winter Newsletter

We’re delighted to share our latest newsletter with you. Our Wells Angels received their copies last week and we’re now delighted to share it with our wider audience of supporters. With dates of not-to-be-missed forthcoming events, as well as recent news of both current and former choristers, we hope you’ll enjoy reading it.

There are two ways in which you can access the newsletter:

1. Read online by CLICKING HERE

2. Download a PDF to read on your computer at home by CLICKING HERE

Hard copies will also soon be available in Wells Cathedral.

On the Stage with Jethro Tull!

The choristers had a great time on Friday night when they shared the stage in Wells Cathedral with progressive rock band, Jethro Tull. Singing to a full crowd, the choristers delivered a fantastic performance.

Sophie Sings Solo at the Albert Hall!

‘Give it a big hug, Sophie!’ That was the lovely, affirming advice Annie the Director gave me seconds before I stepped on stage. The Albert Hall was huge and packed to the rafters, not at all easy to embrace in one go, but I gave it my best squeeze nonetheless. To sing before a sea of flash bulbs and five thousand appreciative faces was a thrilling, tingling, liberating experience. I only wish it had lasted longer than three and a half minutes! But as Pie Jesu reached its rising climax, the audience burst into warm applause and I nodded and smiled in grateful receipt. Funnily enough, this was the part I had worried about most - not the performance itself, but how to acknowledge the crowd! 

The whole evening proved memorable. It was a charity fundraiser for the Salvation Army. They do such good work taking care of the homeless and bringing hope to others laid low in life. Like Malaika Oringo, a Ugandan, who gave a humbling account of how she had been hoodwinked and trafficked into this country. Mary Berry added a little celebrity glam with a reading from the Bible, and we all sang a string of Christmas carols led by the Choir (known as the International Staff Songsters) directed superbly by Dorothy Nancekievill, one-time Director of Music at WCS. 

I have so many happy memories of this event - from lounging in my very own dressing room to rubbing shoulders (literally) with Mary B at the final photo call. We even swopped recipes. (Joke!) 

Let me take this opportunity to thank Mr Cole, Mrs Armstrong and Mr Kidd for making the occasion possible for me. You have my eternal gratitude! 

Rubbing shoulders with the famous

Sophie’s very own dressing room!