Last updated:
20 Oct 1998
St Andrew and St David
| St Davids, Pembrokeshire, is Britain's smallest city, with a population of 1,700. The cathedral will have its own web-site soon. |   |
Organist:
Geraint Bowen (1995) e-mail
Geraint Bowen was born in London and received his
early musical education as a chorister at Hampstead Parish Church under Martindale
Sidwell. After studying the organ with Christopher Herrick he became organ scholar at
Jesus College, Cambridge in 1982, later studying also with John Scott and Stephen
Cleobury.
Whilst at Cambridge a recording of early English church music by the college choir under
his direction was selected for Gramophone magazine’s Critics’ Choice. He was
also a member of the Cambridge University Chamber Choir, with whom he toured the United
States, New Zealand and France.
On leaving Cambridge he was appointed assistant organist at St Patrick’s Cathedral,
Dublin and in 1989 he moved to a similar position at Hereford Cathedral, where he played
the organ on several broadcasts and recordings featuring the cathedral choir. He was
founder and director of the Hereford Bach Choir, and played a prominent part in the
Hereford Three Choirs Festivals of 1991 and 1994.
Since 1995 he has held the posts of organist and master of the choristers at St Davids
Cathedral, and artistic director of the St Davids Cathedral Festival. Under his direction
the cathedral choir has performed with The Parley of Instruments, the Guildhall String
Ensemble and Florilegium, and premiered works written for it by Alun Hoddinott and Geraint
Lewis. It has made many broadcasts on BBC radio and television, including BBC Radio
3’s Choral Evensong. In the autumn of 1996 the choir made its first tour of the USA
and a further tour takes place in October 1998.
In 1996 he founded the St Davids Cathedral Festival Chorus, and has conducted highly
acclaimed performances of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, Verdi’s Requiem and
Mendelssohn’s Elijah.
In 1997 he made two visits to the USA to direct a choral workshop in Washington DC and an
RSCM course in Atlanta, Georgia, and in July 1998 he directed another RSCM course in
Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1999 he has been invited to return to direct a third RSCM
course at Winston-Salem, North
Carolina.
Assistant:
Simon Pearce (September 1998 - )Simon Pearce was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire in 1974 and was Head Chorister at Wakefield Cathedral. After graduating with honours in music from Hull University, where he was awarded the Sir Thomas Beecham Scholarship, he moved to Ripon where he held the organ scholarship at Ripon Cathedral. Whilst studying the organ there with Kerry Beaumont, he gained the Associateship diploma of the Royal College of Organists. He was appointed assistant organist at St Davids Cathedral and assistant conductor of the St Davids Cathedral Festival Chorus in May 1998 and moved to St Davids in September, where he combines his work at the cathedral with freelance performing and teaching work.
Previously Michael Slaney (1991-July 1998).
Organ:
Father Willis 1883, 3 manuals, rebuilt by HNB 1953, Rushworth & Dreaper 1980, and Percy Daniel 1986-1989.
In September 1998 the present instrument was taken down.
The Willis pipework (all of which survives) will form the basis of a new 4-manual
instrument by Harrison & Harrison and scheduled for completion in 2000. The
specification of the new instrument may be viewed at the H&H website. The project will
cost a total of £645 000, of which £416 000 has been found so far, including a grant of
£397 000 from the National Lottery and £16 000 from the Foundation for Sport and the
Arts. This leaves a shortfall of £229 000, and any donations will be gratefully received
by the organist at the cathedral, made payable to the St Davids Cathedral Organ Fund. For
larger donations, Named Gift Opportunities exist, and the organist will be pleased to
provide further details on request. If funds allow, a 32 foot reed will also be added to
the specification.
Choir:
The cathedral choir consists, uniquely in the UK, of girls (aged 8-18) and men. There is also a separate boys' choir and an adult voluntary choir. Girls were first introduced in the 1960s, when the then all-male choir was hit by a flu epidemic just before a live broadcast. The top line was then mixed throughout the rest of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, until separate top lines were formed in 1991 by the organist at that time, Kerry Beaumont.
Services:
Monday (girls only), Tuesday (cathedral boys choir), Thursday (girls and men), Friday fortnightly (voluntary choir) all at 6:00.
Sundays: Mattins 11.15 (4th Sunday Choral Eucharist), Evensong 6:00, (both Sunday services girls and men).
Telephone: 01437 720202/720199, fax 01437 721885
Recordings:
The Sound of St Davids (Nimbus NI 1435)
Other
Information:
St Davids Cathedral Music Festival takes
place annually in the last week of May and first week of June. 1999 dates: Saturday 29 May
– Sunday 6 June. Performers include Bernard Roberts, BBC National Orchestra of Wales,
Virelai, Brodsky Quartet, St Davids Cathedral Choir, St Davids Cathedral Festival Chorus.
Further details from the Administrator, Llywela Harris on 01437 720271, fax 01437 721885.US Tour
The cathedral choir will be on tour in the
USA for the last week of October 1998 and its scheduled appearances are as follows:| Sun 25 Oct |
Service at St Paul’s Church, Baltimore MD 1030 Concert at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Baltimore MD 1500 |
| Tue 27 Oct |
Concert at St Paul’s Church, Richmond VA 1900 |
| Wed 28 Oct |
Evensong at Christ & St Luke’s Church, Norfolk VA 1800 |
| Thu 29 Oct |
Concert at Christ & St Luke’s Church 2000 |
| Sat 31 Oct |
Evensong at Washington National Cathedral 1600 |
| Sun 1 Nov |
Eucharist at St Paul’s K Street, Washington DC
1115 Welsh-American Society Gymanfa Ganu at St Paul’s 1400 Evensong with St Paul’s K Street Choir 1800 |
Previous
Organists:
The father of Thomas Tomkins, also called Thomas (c1570-c1586)
H.C Morris 1896-1921
Joseph Soar 1922-54
Peter Boorman 1954-77
Sir Nicholas Jackson, Bt 1977-84
Malcolm Watts 1984-90
Kerry Beaumont (now organist of Ripon Cathedral) 1990-94
I am indebted to Geraint Bowen (a) for volunteering to start my Welsh collection, and (b) for supplying so much useful and interesting information so quickly.