The new academic year for Hereford Cathedral Choir has begun with celebration after they were announced as recipients of a grant from Friends of Cathedral Music.

The grant, which will pay for singing lessons for the boy choristers, has been awarded by Friends of Cathedral Music and enabled by its Diamond Fund for Choristers. Friends of Cathedral Music (FCM) is a 60-year old charity with nearly 4,000 members. The charity has supported cathedral music with over £4m of grants. FCM is run by volunteers with extensive knowledge and experience of cathedral music. 

The grant money will be used by the cathedral to provide individual singing lessons for the boys of the choir, enhancing their musical education. Hereford Cathedral Choir has been incredibly busy throughout 2018 with a string of high profile performances including singing for Prince Charles, the Pope and performing throughout the Three Choirs Festival, which this year took place in Hereford.

Geraint Bowen, Director of Music, says, ‘We’re very grateful to FCM for enabling these lessons to continue to take place. Our choristers have a busy schedule at the cathedral and individual tuition means that we can explore different repertoire with them at the same time as keeping their voices in good health.’

Maurice Kenwrick-Piercy, FCM Diamond Fund for Choristers, says, ‘We are really pleased to be able to support Hereford Cathedral Choir with this grant. Cathedral choristers are important to the nation as the skills they develop benefit not just cathedral music but also they themselves, their eventual employers and the wider community throughout their lives. Being part of a cathedral choir can be a transformative experience for many and we are glad to be able to support the choristers of Hereford.’

The choir normally sings at Evensong every day during term time except Wednesdays. Evensong takes place at 5.30 pm from Monday to Saturday and 3.30 pm on Sundays and everyone is welcome to attend. There are also select recordings of the choir’s performances available to listen to on our website here.