Wonderful Concert with The Gesualdo Six

The Choristers had a wonderful time on Saturday performing in concert with The Gesualdo Six and their director, Owain Park (former Organ Scholar at Wells Cathedral).

They spent time in the afternoon working with Owain and the consort, discussing and shaping the music for the evening’s concert.

The Gesualdo Six opened the concert by perming a number of English motets - Renaissance masterpieces from the Golden Age of polyphony in England by the likes of Tallis, Byrd, and White before the Choristers joined them for a glorious rendition of John Sheppard’s Libera Nos (II).

The second half opened with the Choristers performing again with the consort in Jean Mouton’s beautiful Salva Nos, Domine. Mouton was a Renaissance French composer who celebrates his 500th anniversary this year.

The Gesulado Six went on to thrill the audience with further works by Gombert and Bingen before moving to contemporary works written by Park himself and Alison Willis. The consort were then joined by trumpeter and Former Chorister, Erin Davies, who joined them in performing works by Alec Roth and Richard Barnard, much to the audience’s delight. The concert then concluded with a mesmerising work by Canadian composer, Eleanor Daley.

The concert was followed by a reception for the Friends of WCCT, at which The Gesulado Six further entertained the thrilled guests with some close harmony numbers! It was a fantastic evening and we are extremely grateful to Owain and the other members of the consort for coming and helping the Trust in our fundraising endeavours.

Adam Hickox returns to Wells to conduct WCS concert

The Lent Term at Wells Cathedral School came to an end last week with a stunning concert given by the WCS Symphony Orchestra. The challenging first half of the concert was conducted by none other than former Wells Cathedral Chorister, Adam Hickox. Adam is currently Assistant Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra who describe him as a ‘super talent’ and we’d have to agree! The young members of the WCS orchestra were clearly enthused by Adam’s conducting vitality as he led them in the Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra both by Benjamin Britten. Adam directed the orchestra with real poise and it was wonderful to see him actively encouraging the players as they took on this challenging repertoire. After leaving Wells Cathedral School, Hickox went on to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, before studying conducting at the Royal Academy of Music. You can read more about Adam’s already impressive career to date below, as well as watch him conducting the RPO in the Finale of Elgar’s Enigma Variations. We can certainly look forward to seeing and hearing much more of Adam as his career progresses.

The second half of the evening’s concert saw the orchestra joined by a chorus that included the Cathedral Choristers as they were led in music celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Conducted by WCS Headmaster, Alistair Tighe, the rousing music by the likes of Vaughan Williams and Parry brought the evening to a triumphant close.

Adam Hickox
Young British conductor Adam Hickox has already shown considerable promise, demonstrating an impressive fluidity of technique and mature interpretation of a wide symphonic and operatic repertoire. In 2019 he was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and this position will now run through until the end of the 2021/22 season.

Hickox's commitments in Rotterdam include assisting on programmes with their Chief Conductor Lahav Shani, Valery Gergiev and Yannick Nézet-Séguin amongst others, as well as conducting performances of his own in Rotterdam and elsewhere, including the world premiere of a new commission by Mathilde Wantenaar. In Summer 2021 he was invited to Tanglewood as one of the Tanglewood Festival's two Conducting Fellows, having been selected from hundreds of applicants; this involved extensive work with the TMC Orchestra including conducting performances at the Koussevitzky Music Shed, as well as working alongside Nelsons, Blomstedt and Gilbert. Hickox will also take part in the fellowship's corresponding residency with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.

In 2021 Hickox made his debut in France, conducting the Orchestre de Paris in an education concert focusing on Shostakovich 7, and in 2020 his Scandinavian debut with Sweden’s Gävle Symphony Orchestra. He was also re-invited to conduct the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. In 21/22 he makes his debut with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra recording music to mark the COP26 conference in Glasgow. Recent orchestral engagements include the UK premiere of Thomas Larcher Still for viola and chamber orchestra with Lawrence Power and Collegium, ‘Music of Exile’ with members of the ARC Ensemble conducting and reviving works of exiled Jewish composers from the 1930s, and concerts at the St Endellion and Klosters Music Festivals. Hickox has assisted conductors including Roth, Orozco-Estrada, Manze, Ryan Wigglesworth, Sir Mark Elder, Edward Gardner, van Steen and Alsop; most recently he assisted Sir John Eliot Gardiner with the London Symphony Orchestra and was then re-invited immediately to take a full day’s rehearsal for Sir Simon Rattle.

Also active in the opera house, in 2021/22 Hickox conducts a new production of Hansel and Gretel at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire. In Autumn 2020 he had been scheduled to return to English National Opera to conduct Knussen's Where the Wild Things Are and Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, following his work in Autumn 2019 assisting Music Director Martyn Brabbins on Birtwistle's The Mask of Orpheus. Previously he has assisted Leo Hussain at Theater an der Wien, and Raphaël Pichon at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in a production directed by Romeo Castellucci of Mozart Requiem.

Hickox is a graduate of Gonville and Caius College Cambridge, where he studied music and composition with Robin Holloway, and was the conductor of the Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra. He then studied conducting with Sian Edwards at the Royal Academy of Music, where he graduated with DipRam and the Ernest Read Prize for Conducting. In 2016, he co-founded the Endelienta Ensemble, which brings together postgraduate instrumentalists for a series of concerts in Cornwall.

Former Choristers Reunite at Don Giovanni!

It was lovely to hear of a reunion of former choristers! Christopher Siggery and Howard Thomson went along to the Bristol Hippodrome to hear Meeta sing the role of Donna Elvira in WNO's production of Don Giovanni.

Meeta said of the reunion: “A very special reunion happed last night after my performance of Don Giovanni at the Bristol hippodrome. Christopher and Howard were both Choristers with me at Wells Cathedral, 1994-1997! They along with Chris’s partner decided to surprise me at my performance. I’ve not seen them since 1997. We chatted like great friends who have been sharing life’s journey for years … I drove home immensely happy knowing I’d just renewed my childhood friendships - the beginning of many more fun times ahead together.”

A Ceremony of Carols - Watch Now

The Choristers' performance on Saturday 5 February of Britten's 'A Ceremony of Carols' was utterly captivating. Performing to a full nave, 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: Elsa, Alexei, Hannah, Natasha, Charlie and Oliver.

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.

You can now watch the complete performance in the video above.

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A Ceremony of Carols

The Chairman and the Trustees invite you to a performance of A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten on Saturday 5 February. The performance will be given by the Choristers of Wells Cathedral with harpist, Ruth Faber, directed by Jeremy Cole, Director of Music. The concert starts at 1.05pm and all are advised to be in their seat by 12.55pm to ensure a prompt start.

Experience this ever-popular and inspiring arrangement of medieval carols for children’s voices and harp, in the beautiful setting of Wells Cathedral. This was the first work Britten wrote for boys’ voices, and with his keen ear and extraordinary imagination, he achieved many wondrous and memorable effects.

There is no cost to attend although there will be a collection afterwards to support the work of the Trust. We politely suggest a donation of 10 per adult and 5 per child. If you’re unable to attend but wish to donate please click here.

Congratulations to Estella - chorister and budding photographer!

Many congratulations to chorister and budding photographer, Estella, who has won first prize in her age category in the CPRE's “My Somerset – at work, rest & play” Photography Competition. The judges praised the quality of Estella's image [above] and felt it showed how taking time to notice the small things in life can be really special.

Estella said, “I can’t believe I actually won! I love taking photographs, especially of the wildlife and flowers in our garden. We have quite a few wild areas and are lucky enough to have a stream so we have quite a few visitors such as dragonflies, bats, hedgehogs, butterflies, bees and more. I got to go to an event in Somerton about rewilding wildlife and I received a certificate from Marriella Frostrup!”

Visit the competition page here: https://www.cpresomerset.org.uk/get-involved/2021-photography-competition/

 
 
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