Chorister to join Diamond Choir

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Thomas Fesmer, a chorister at Chester Cathedral has been selected to join the Diamond Choir.

The Diamond Choir has been created by St Paul's Cathedral to bring together all the UK regions and nations for the Service of Thanksgiving to mark the Queen's 60 years on the throne - Her Diamond Jubilee.

They will sing a brand new work, The Call of Wisdom, by British composer Will Todd. The Choir will be conducted by St Paul's Director of Music, Andrew Carwood.

France Tour 2012 – Albi and Toulouse

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From 24th -31st July, Chester Cathedral Choir will be visiting France. We will be singing in the Basilica of St. Cecile, Albi and St Sernin's, Toulouse. The Choir Support Group have been working hard to raise funds to send the choir on tour this year and we are very grateful for a generous donation from MBNA without which the tour would not be possible.

Organ Recital – Roger Fisher and Philip Rushforth

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Monday 30th January: Roger Fisher and Philip Rushforth will be performing a recital in Chester Cathedral at 7.30.p.m. for the Chester and North East Wales, Organists’ Association.

Brand New CD Release – Whitlock and Hylton Stewart

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Philip Rushforth plays the organ of Chester Cathedral.

This is Priory’s first recording of the Chester organ for 15 years. Philip Rushforth concentrates on two early twentieth century composers. The Whitlock Sonata and the Hymn Preludes and this couples well with five short pieces of Hylton Stewart who is chiefly remembered for his settings of the canticles and psalm chants. A full length CD of over 79 minutes.

The disc is available directly from Philip Rushforth priced at £10.

Other recordings of Philip Rushforth playing the Grand Organ of Chester Cathedral are also available on Priory Records including “The Grand Organ of Chester Cathedral” and “The Organs of Southwell Minster and Chester Cathedral”. Please contact Philip directly if you would like to obtain a copy of one of these discs, also priced at £10.

Available for direct download through Amazon are some of Philip Rushforth’s recordings on “The Organs of Cambridge“

New Assistant Director of Music – Benjamin Chewter

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We are pleased to welcome Ben Chewter as he takes up the post of Assistant Director of Music at Chester Cathedral.

Benjamin Chewter is the Assistant Director of Music at Chester Cathedral, where he is responsible for the accompaniment of the statutory services and the direction of the Cathedral’s Nave Choir. Educated at Christ’s Hospital School, he held the Organ Scholarship at Canterbury Cathedral before going up to Emmanuel College, Cambridge as Organ Scholar (where he read Music and was Organist of King’s Voices, the mixed-voice choir of King’s College Chapel). He subsequently held the Organ Scholarship at Westminster Abbey and was Assistant Organist at Lincoln Cathedral for three years before taking up his current post in September 2011.

As an organist and conductor he has performed extensively throughout the UK (at venues including Westminster Abbey, Chichester, Lincoln, Canterbury, St Albans and Westminster Cathedrals, and St John’s Smith Square in London) and abroad (Sweden, Mexico, Belgium, Poland and Germany); forthcoming recital venues for the remainder of 2011 include Gloucester and Chester Cathedrals. Benjamin continues his studies in organ repertoire and improvisation with David Briggs and Stephen Farr. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and also holds the College’s Choral Conducting Diploma.

Music Department News – Friends Newsletter June 2011

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Download the Music section from the latest Friends Newsletter :

“Music Director’s Report

The start of the New Year was busy. Ian (our Assistant Director of Music) and Kate Roberts left us for St John’s Church,Ranmoor in Sheffield and preparations had to be made for Ian’s replacement and the need for us to organise the daily worship of the cathedral between Laurence (our Organ Scholar) and me once Ian had left… “

Download the music newsletter in pdf