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Winchester Cathedral is another of England's best known cathedrals and one with a highly regarded choir. The Choir's main duty is to sing at the services in Winchester Cathedral. The Choir during each term sing an average of eight services weekly. In addition, they give concerts both in the Cathedral and elsewhere in Britain. A particularly notable performance was in May 1996 when they took part in a performance of Arvo Part's 'Passio' in London's Brompton Oratory. Another notable performance was singing in a BBC Promenade Concert with the choir of New College, Oxford, and the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment. The Choir has not only performned in England, but around the world, invcluding tours of the Australia, Brazil, the United States and other countries. Their tur performances include a repertoire ranging from Taverner, Weelkes and Byrd to
Howells, Leighton and Tavener.
William the Conqueror began construction of the Cathedreal in 1079. The Cathedral was built in the Romanesque style at the heart of Alfred's Wessex, a diocese which once stretched from London's Thames to the Channel Islands. The Cathedral is one of the oldest cathedral in England.
The Bishops of Winchester were some of the most powerful prelates in the English Church and thus men of considerable wealth. Perhaps the most famous Bishop of Winchester was William of Wykeham, who twice served as Chancellor of England. He founded of Winchester College, one of the great public schools. He also founded New College, Oxford. There are chantry chapels and memorials in the Cathedral to many Bishops of Winchester who developed, re-fashioned and adorned this great Cathedral. Pilgrims coming to the Cathedral sought the shrine of local saints, notably a former bishop, Saint Swithun, whose festival (July 15) the faithful believed set the wather pattern for the next
40 days.
Izaak Walton, Jane Austen, and Saint Swithun are buried in the Cathedral. The lavishly illuminated Winchester Bible dates from 1160. The mortuary chests contain the bones of ancient British Monarchs." The Triforium Gallery contains many of the Cathedral's treasures, including original statuary from the Great Screen. Bishop Morley's Library, bequeathed to the Cathedral in 1684, contains over 2,000 historic books in magnificent 17th century book cases. On permanent display is the priceless Winchester Bible--the
supreme example of 12th Century illumination, using real gold and lapis lazuli. Winchester was once the capital of Wessex and England.
The Deanery is one of the oldest and most interesting houses in England, which has been in continuous occupation since the middle of the 13th Century, first as the lodging of the Prior of tbe former Benedictine Monastery, and since 1541 as the official residence of the
Dean. The Cathedral Close is one of a beautiful and tranquil area containing the Deanery and houses for the Canons, dating from the 17th Century. Visitors to the Cathedral ca walk through Prior's Gate, as the pilgrims did over 600 years ago, and view the full magnificence of Winchester Cathedral.
Winchester Cathedral is another of England's best known cathedrals and one with a highly regarded choir. The Choir's main duty is to sing at the services in Winchester Cathedral. The Choir during each term sing an average of eight services weekly. In addition, they give concerts both in the Cathedral and elsewhere in Britain.
The Winchester Cathedral Choir is made up of 20 boy choristers and 12 permanent lay clerks. The numbers are increased as appropriate when a larger number of singers are required.
The choristers are educated at the Pilgrims' School where they all learn at least one instrument, and the majority of them gain music scholarships to their next school.
The lay clerks are experienced musicians who work in a variety of musical fields, incuding composing, conducting, music therapy, arts administration and teaching. The Organist and Master of Music,
David Hill, is one of Britain's leading vocal trainers and choral conductors, and the Sub-Organist, Stephen Farr, has recently been appointed, having previously been Sub-Organist at Christ Church, Oxford.
A particularly notable performance was in May 1996 when they took part in a performance of Arvo Part's 'Passio' in London's Brompton Oratory. Another notable performance was singing in a BBC Promenade Concert with the choir of New College, Oxford, and the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment. The Choir has not only performned in England, but around the world, invcluding tours of the Australia, Brazil, the United States and other countries. Their tur performances include a repertoire ranging from Taverner, Weelkes and Byrd to
Howells, Leighton and Tavener. The Choir in 1999 sang two services and a concert in the Florence Cathedral. They also recorded a
disc of Anthems by Orlando Gibbons for Hyperion. A televised recording of Handel's Messiah has just been made for
Meridian, as one of their special Millennium broadcasts. A visit in 2001 to sing in the opening concert of the Handel Festival
in Halle, Germany received critical acclaim.
The Choir has made many recordings for Hyperion, Virgin Classics and Decca include discs of English music by Purcell, John Blow,
Tye, Tallis, Stanford, Parry and Elgar. Hyperion has issued a recording of the Mass for Five Voices for the
feast of Corpus Christi by William Byrd, recorded in 1995. The Choir have also recorded works by Delius with the
Waynflete Singers and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and has made a disc of French choral music for
Virgin Classics.
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