Three Choirs Festival

A new choral work is set to receive its first performance at Hereford Cathedral later this year as a result of a unique competition held recently by the cathedral’s Voluntary Choir.

Composers were invited to write a short work that would be used as the introit at Choral Evensong on Sunday 27 July. Five works were shortlisted for a workshop, at which each was rehearsed for fifteen minutes only and then “sung through” in front of the small audience. All the entries remained anonymous right up until the final judging had been completed.

The winning composer in the end was Judith Ward, and her composition, Praise the Lord, O my soul, will be sung as the introit at Evensong on 27 July at the Three Choirs Festival. Judith is a choral conductor and composer based in South Oxfordshire, where she has worked extensively in education and as a church director of music. She was present at the workshop in Hereford, and was delighted to hear her work rehearsed by Hereford Cathedral Voluntary Choir; she intends to be at the service to hear the premiere.

The choir’s director, Peter Dyke, said “We were thrilled to receive so many entries from all over the world. The standard was excellent, and I am immensely grateful to all composers (shortlisted or not) who submitted pieces for consideration. It is truly heartening to see that there is so much high-quality activity taking place, and it is a hugely stimulating experience for the choir to sing five brand-new works in a single afternoon. Judith’s piece impressed us in particular through its skilful setting of a very appropriate text; all the singers are given lines of rhythmic vitality and melodic interest. The piece is sure to make a strong impact at the start of the service on 27 July.”

The choir is grateful too to the visiting judges, Naomi Belshaw (Three Choirs Festival Chair), the composer Nathan James Dearden, and Timothy Rogers (Director of Encore Publications), as well as to Elizabeth Allen, Rachel Soble and all choir members for valuable support for the project.