Latest News — Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust

Iestyn Davies and The WCCT annual evensong

Friday 6th October marked the beginning of an exciting weekend for The Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust.  We welcomed Iestyn Davies, world renowned countertenor, to Cedars Hall for what was a spectacular musical evening featuring the choristers of Wells Cathedral. The evening started with Iestyn, accompanied by Joe Middleton on piano, performing songs of Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin and was followed by a charming semi-staged performance of the final scene from Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by the Choristers alongside soprano Elizabeth Donovan.

Saturday afternoon was The Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust’s annual evensong. Beforehand, we were joined by key supporters for afternoon tea with the Choristers, in the glorious Quilters Hall. After sufficient amounts of cake (no such thing for the choristers) we headed over to the Cathedral where the choristers sung confidently and beautifully.

Over the course of the weekend, we were fortunate enough to be joined by the Cathedral Music Trust and we are so pleased that so many of their members were able to attend the concert and Evensong. We have received wonderful feedback and would like to express our gratitude to the choristers for all their hard work.

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The Choristers at Windsor


The Choristers and HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh

On Wednesday 11 May 2023 the Chorister were taken to Windsor Castle to sing Evensong at St Georges Chapel. The Choristers were fortunate enough to enjoy a private behind the scenes tour of the Chapel where they were able to learn about the history, from Kings and Queens to the Knights of the Garter through the ages. After this wonderful tour, the Choristers sang Evensong with Trustees and Friends of WCCT in attendance, together with HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh. After Evensong the Choristers spent time with The Duchess where she enjoyed happily answering many of their questions about the coronation, her horses and more. Afterwards a number of WCCT’s Ambassadors and new Trustees were presented to the Duchess by Arnold Wills, Chair of Trustees. Here is a flavour of the day.

For more details on how to become a Friend or Ambassador of the Chorister Trust click here

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James Bowman, 1941-2023

It is with great sadness that we have heard of the death of one of our patrons, James Bowman. James was a model for an entire generation of countertenors. A fixture on the operatic and concert stages of Europe since the late 1960s, he made more than 130 commercial recordings.

A proud friend and long-term supporter of Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust, we were delighted when James joined the Cathedral Choir as a soloist for a Gala Fundraising Concert in 2009. Another highlight of the Trust’s relationship with James was when he presented a concert entitled Twice Upon A Time with Dr Barry Rose. Both performers entertained the audience with some glorious music, as well as many anecdotes from their colourful careers! Our chair, Arnold Wills, met recently with James at a Cathedral Music Trust event in Chichester at which he spoke fondly of Wells and his pride in being a WCCT patron. He will be sorely missed.

We are delighted that Iestyn Davies’s concert on 6 October in aid of WCCT will now be a tribute to James.

James Bowman in his days as a choral scholar at New College, Oxford

Bowman began singing as chorister in the choir of Ely Cathedral and went on to be a choral scholar at Oxford's New College, where he received degrees in education and history. His solo career began with a successful audition for Benjamin Britten's English Opera Group in 1967. The composer offered him the role of Oberon in his A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as a concert at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. Bowman continued to sing Oberon throughout his career, and made an excellent recording of the role for Hyperion in 1990. His association with Britten would continue, as well; the composer wrote the role of Apollo in Death in Venice for him, and also dedicated his Canticle No. 4 to Bowman.

In 1970, Bowman became the first countertenor to sing at Glyndebourne, in a production of Cavalli's La Calisto. By 1972, he had also debuted with the English National Opera and Covent Garden in operas of Handel (Semele) and Peter Maxwell Davies (Taverner). He would eventually sing most of the great Handelian operas, including Xerxes, Giulio Cesare, Orlando, and Rinaldo.

Bowman premiered a number of contemporary works, aside from those already mentioned. He was the first to sing the role of Astron in Michael Tippett's opera The Ice Break, in 1977; he sang Alan Ridout's Phaeton for BBC Radio; Michael Nyman wrote his Self-Laudatory Hymn of Inanna and Her Omnipotence for Bowman; and Bowman was the first to record John Tavener's Akathist of Thanksgiving and a number of works by Geoffrey Burgon.

James’s concert career was equally wide-ranging; in Europe he was well known as a recitalist, and had a large following. In 1992 the French government honoured him with admission to ‘L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ and he was awarded the Medal of Honour of the city of Paris in recognition of long-standing contribution to the musical life of the city. He was appointed a CBE in the 1997 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

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Concert with the Choir of Royal Holloway

On Saturday 11 March, we were delighted to welcome the Choir of Royal Holloway, University of London, to Wells Cathedral, with their conductor, Rupert Gough. The choir gave a spellbinding performance in aid of WCCT and the Choristers were delighted to join them for the first half of the programme. It was particularly wonderful to welcome back Rupert, a former Assistant Organist of Wells Cathedral, and organist Andrew Dewar, a former Junior Organ Scholar at Wells. It was also a huge delight to see James Gooding, a former Wells Head Chorister, who is now singing baritone at Royal Holloway.

The concert opened with J S Bach’s motet, O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht. This was followed by Rupert sublime choral arrangement of Ravel’s Pavane pour one infant defunté, a work that the Choristers thoroughly enjoyed singing. Mendelssohn’s I waited for the Lord is a firm favourite of the Choristers and it was a wonderful to hear them singing this with the visiting choir. The first part of the programme ended with a captivating performance of Lithuanian composer, Vytautas Miškinis’s hypnotic piece Oi šala, šala. This was performed ‘in the round’ with the Choristers and Choir of Royal Holloway gathered in small groups surrounding the audience. It’s certainly the first time the Choristers had sung a piece in Lithuanian!

The next two items were by contemporary Norwegian composer, Ola Gjeilo. Firstly, an arrangement of a traditional Norwegian song, Ingen Vinner Frem. The composer’s peaceful and introspective Agnus Dei followed, filling the Cathedral with the Choir’s glowing sound, as did Matthew Coleridge’s setting of the German evening hymn, Abenleid. The final two items of the concert were by the 20th-century French composer, Pierre Villette. The first, his Hymne à la Vierge, is a firm choral favourite with its colourful flowing harmonies. The second, larger work was Villette’s Missa ‘Da Pacem’, performed in a Rupert Gough’s own arrangement for choir and organ, which brought the concert to a stunning close.

We are extremely grateful to them all for coming to Wells and giving us such a treat of a concert!

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The Duchess of Edinburgh: Our Royal Patron

The Chair and Trustees of Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust are delighted to hear that His Majesty The King has been pleased to confer the Dukedom of Edinburgh upon The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, on the occasion of His Royal Highness’s 59th birthday. The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will continue Prince Philip’s legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.

The Duchess of Edinburgh is the Royal Patron of Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust, which aims to ensure that talented children regardless of their families financial background, have the opportunity to become Cathedral Choristers at Wells. The choristers benefit from a first class musical education at Wells Cathedral School.

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A Captivating Ceremony!

The Choristers' performance last Saturday of Britten's A Ceremony of Carols was utterly captivating. Performing to a full nave, with Alexander Hamilton 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: Oliver, Aleksei, Belinda, Rosie, Beatrice, Petra and Estella.

Many thanks 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.

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A Review of the Cathedral Music Landscape

To all Friends of WCCT and all interested in our work for Wells Cathedral Choristers -

Please find a link here to the very recent report commissioned by the Cathedral Music Trust, formerly known as Friends of Cathedral Music.

I am providing this as Chair of the WCCT, but I am also the Area Representative of CMT for Bath and Wells Diocese. The report is interesting reading, and of course the work we do as a Chorister Trust continues to be so vital, especially in the area of giving life chances to girls and boys equally. At Wells all choristers are equally valued and highly regarded. CMT are terrific supporters of Wells Cathedral and their musical tradition.

A Review of the Cathedral Music Landscape - Click to view

Please save the date for next year’s Chorister Trust Evensong on Saturday 7thOctober, which will also include up to 100 members of CMT as they will be spending a weekend at a National Gathering in Wells from 6-8th October 2023. There will be a special fund raising concert for WCCT on the Friday October 6th so I suggest you save that date too. More details to follow.

Very best wishes

Arnold Wills
chairman@wcct.co.uk

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