Awards aplenty at choral festival
On Saturday, 8th October,Hereford Cathedral hosted 150–200 singers lifting their voices to take part in the Royal School of Church Music Diocesan Choirs Festival. The festival service featured choirs from as far away as Shropshire and Tenbury Wells, as well as all over Herefordshire. Hereford Cathedral Choir also took part and sung some items on its own. This year’s theme was the psalms, and their versatility in worship. Geraint Bowen, who conducted the festival, commented: “It’s marvellous to see how many singers there are in church choirs in the area and to hear them raise the roof of the cathedral, with Peter Dyke supporting them on the great Willis organ. Each year I’m delighted by the hard work they’ve all put in and the enormous skill they’ve shown – this year was no exception!”
Choir members assemble before the start of the Diocesan Choirs Festival
During the service, there was an awards ceremony, where the Bishop of Hereford made presentations to the successful candidates for the Chorister Awards and also the Stage Assessments of the Diocese of Hereford Organists’ Training Scheme. One highlight was the presentation of a Certificate of Special Service to Angus Smart; this is an award made nationally by the Royal School of Church Music to individuals recognised as having made a huge contribution to the work of the RSCM in roles that aren’t necessarily musical. Angus has been on the area committee for nearly twenty years, has served as treasurer and secretary. He has also been the treasurer of the area’s highly-successful and trailblazing Organists’ Training Scheme since its inception in 2001, helping enormously by ensuring that both invoices to students and supporting churches and also payments to tutors are kept up to date and assisting at workshop events.