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Choral Firsts for the Cathedral...

Choral Firsts for the Cathedral

After many months of choral silence, St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds, will livestream its first Choral Evensong today at 5.00 pm. Choral Evensong is livestreamed via the Cathedral’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/stedscathedral.

‘We’re delighted to welcome our various choirs back after such a long break,’ comments Richard Cook, Acting Director of Music. ‘We’ve also just launched our new Cathedral Girls’ Choir. We already have twelve girl choristers, who started their training last week. It has been fantastic to start working with our existing boy choristers too, and await their reintroduction to services in the foreseeable future.’

The Cathedral is currently recruiting choristers, who receive free singing, piano and musicianship lessons as well as getting the experience of singing in the wonderful surroundings of the Cathedral.

These are exciting times for the Cathedral as several new people have joined the Music department. Thanks to co-operation with two local schools, two young women will be sharing and developing their music skills over the coming year. Emily Mustoe comes to Bury St Edmunds from Worcester Cathedral, where she was Head Chorister. She has already gained a broad experience of singing in English cathedrals alongside exceptional choristers from across the country. She is the Cathedral’s first Choral Scholar and will be sharing her time between the Cathedral and County Upper School.

Elli-Mae McGlone is the Cathedral’s first female organ scholar. Starting her musical career as a pianist, she took up the organ in 2013 and has been Senior Organ Scholar at Doncaster Minster, and like Emily has gained extensive experience already. Elli-Mae also sings and plays the clarinet. She will be supporting music tuition at King Edward VI School. Both Emily and Elli-Mae hope to go on to further musical studies at university in due course.

‘We are very excited about the arrival of our new colleagues – two firsts for the Cathedral,’ continues Richard Cook. ‘We look forward to working with the local schools, collaborating with Britten Piers Arts and their Friday Afternoon series, and bringing music back not only to the Cathedral, but also the local community.’

For further information on how to audition for the Cathedral choir, please contact Richard Cook on adom@stedscathedral.org, or see https://stedscathedral.org/music/choirs

Richard is supported in his role by two more new colleagues. William Saunders joins as a Freelance Music Advisor. He will be supporting us on a temporary basis whilst the Cathedral is without a permanent Director of Music. William is a former Head of Music at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook.

Naomi Sturges, who studied music at University of York, is the new Music and Liturgy Administrator.