WELCOME
In 2023, Hereford Cathedral School Music Department launched our new series ‘Music Makers’ with the mission to provide HCS pupils and the wider community with inspirational and formative musical experiences. Our school was recently selected as ‘Great for Music’ by The Week’s Independent Schools’ Guide, which is testament to the breadth and depth of musical opportunity the Department is committed to providing.
Our second season picks up where the first left off, with a focus on careers in music, giving insights into many routes our young people may wish to pursue in the world of professional music. With a series of talks given by professional musicians from the world of performance, we will look at what a ‘portfolio career’ in music looks like and how pathways in music are often organic and diverse rather than pre-determined.
Following last year’s incredible workshop days with Bob Chilcott and The Carducci Quartet, this year’s season contains yet more exciting opportunities for our community. We are hugely excited to welcome Sir John Rutter to lead this year’s ‘Come and Sing’ day in May. Sir John is one of the country’s best-loved composers, conductors and arrangers as well as the founder of the Collegium record label and Director of the Cambridge Singers. We are thrilled to welcome choral sensation Apollo5 to the school in March for both a workshop day and joint concert. Apollo5 have taken the choral world by storm with their diversity of style and blend of sound, and will be performing pieces from their recent Invocations album. We are also delighted to welcome Greg Beardsell, formerly Conductor of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain for a ‘young voices’ workshop day later in 2025.
I hope you will find something in this brochure that inspires and interests you as a musician. If you would like to know more about any of the events we run, please contact our Music Department Administrator, Mrs Amy Turtle, at a.turtle@herefordcs.com.
MR DUNCAN BARLOW DIRECTOR OF MUSIC, HEREFORD CATHEDRAL SCHOOL
October
MARION BETTSWORTH: PORTFOLIO MUSICIAN AND RADIO 3 PRODUCER
Tuesday 8 October 2024
Mrs Marion Bettsworth, freelance teacher, organist and BBC Radio 3 Producer joins us to discuss her portfolio career as a musician, giving tips for those interested in pursuing a combination of musical careers. She will be leading an interactive workshop which will show participants how to create and edit sound files to produce their own radio show.
Lunchtime Talk – What is a Portfolio Career in Music?
1.20-1.50pm in the Music School
Workshop – So You Want to be a Radio Producer/Editor?
4-5.30pm in the HCS Music Lab
Open to Hereford Cathedral School pupils in years 7-13
EDWARD JONES: HEAD OF BRASS AT THE ROYAL BIRMINGHAM
CONSERVATOIRE
Monday 14 October 2024
Mr Edward Jones (Head of Brass at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and former Principal Trombone in the CBSO) will be bringing the award-winning Epsilon Quintet to HCS. The quintet will give a lunchtime concert in the Zimmerman Main Hall and lead a brass workshop and masterclass with student brass players from HCS and other local schools.
Lunchtime concert: 1.20-1.55pm in ZMH Workshop and masterclass: 2-4pm, HCS Music School
AN INTRODUCTION TO FOLK FIDDLE WITH JOHN HYMAS AND BENET WALSH
Thursday 21 November 2024, 2-4pm
What’s the difference between a violin and a fiddle? It’s how you play it.
John Hymas and Benet Walsh are two professional musicians with a wealth of experience in many aspects of folk music and have performed all over Europe and in the USA.
In this workshop they will show us music from the English, Celtic, European and American fiddle traditions, and at the end of the session there will be a chance for everyone to perform a variety of tunes together. Bring an instrument along! November
January March
JAMES TURNBULL: OBOE
Friday 17 January 2025
Mr James Turnbull brings a wealth of performance and educational experience, having launched and run ‘The Young Person’s Guide to the Oboe’ since 2012. James teaches at The Purcell School for Young Musicians and the Royal College of Music. As Chairman of the British Double Reed Society, James is passionate about promoting the oboe and encouraging young musicians on their performance pathways. Following a short performance and talk on the oboe, James will work with our woodwind players on aspects of technique, sound production and interpretation.
Lunchtime concert: 1.20-1.55pm in ZMH
Woodwind masterclass: 2-4pm, HCS Music School
KATE MULLINS: JAZZ SINGER
JAMES EAGER: DOUBLE BASS
Saturday 8 March 2025, 9.45am - 4.30pm
We are delighted that professional jazz musicians, Kate Mullins and James Eager, will be leading a half-day workshop working with our Jazz Band musicians on aspects of stylistic interpretation, improvisation, communication and performance technique. This will be followed by a evening of jazz performance by Kate and James together with the HCS Jazz Band.
This workshop is designed to encourage musical partnership throughout the band and looks at how an ensemble locks into a swing feel. There will also be an introduction to jazz improvisation with tangible techniques to take away and assimilate into in your own practice.
Afternoon workshop with Jazz Band: (2-5pm) Evening concert: (7pm)
APOLLO5
Thursday 27 March 2025, 12.30-4pm
We are hugely excited to welcome one of the country’s leading vocal ensembles to Hereford Cathedral School. World-renowned for their blend and musical versatility, Apollo5 have captivated audiences across genres including jazz, pop, classical and early sacred music. Hot on the heels of their European tour, Apollo5 will visit HCS to lead an afternoon of workshops for the Senior School choirs as well as an outreach workshop for young singers across the region. The afternoon will feature a preview performance of items from their best-selling album Invocations, featuring arrangements by long-term collaborater Fraser Wilson, who will be working with HCS students the following day. Our evening concert, featuring our HCS choirs, will provide an opportunity to
hear the Invocations programme brought to life. This promises to be a memorable and inspiring day, not to be missed!
Lunchtime performance to HCS Invocations: 1.30-1.50pm
Joint concert with HCS at Holy Trinity Church, Hereford: 6.30pm
Tickets: £20
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
FRASER WILSON: HEAD OF PERFORMANCE AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AT BRITTEN PEARS ARTS
Friday 28 March 2025, 12-5pm
Fraser Wilson has had a varied career as a performer, conductor, arranger, producer, arts festival leader and consultant. Currently Head of Performance and Public Engagement at Britten Pears Arts, where he is responsible for the concert programme at the world-famous Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Fraser is also Associate Composer for Apollo5. Following our workshop and joint concert with Apollo5, Fraser will join us to discuss his diverse career journey as part of our focus on careers in music. Fraser will also lead workshops on composition and arrangement, with a focus on writing for specific groups and voices.
SING UP: A SCHOOLS’ CHORAL WORKSHOP DAY WITH GREG BEARDSELL
Thursday 8 May 2025
– all day
Greg Beardsell was formerly Principal Conductor of the National Youth Choir for 20 years and is currently Associate Conductor of the London Voices. As one of the UK’s leading choral directors, Greg has worked with some of the world’s most prominent choirs and orchestras. He has vast experience in working with young voices and is involved in a range of performance and education projects throughout the UK and beyond. We are delighted to welcome Greg to HCS to lead workshops with our Senior and Junior School Choirs and an outreach primary schools’ workshop for young voices.
COME & SING WITH SIR JOHN RUTTER
Saturday 10 May 2025
We are delighted to welcome Sir John Rutter, one of the world’s most cherished and respected composers to Hereford to lead a Come and Sing Workshop Day. Sir John is well known throughout the choral and orchestral world for his inspiring compositions. Founder of the Collegium record label and The Cambridge Singers, one of the country’s leading professional chamber choirs, Sir John has a wealth of experience in conducting, composing, editing and arranging. In this workshop, Sir John, will lead singers through some of his best-loved compositions and share some of the tales of his formidable career!
Holy Trinity Church, Hereford, 11am – 5pm (doors open from 10am) Tickets: £25 (£15 for students) CLICK HERE TO BOOK May
COMING SOON
THE HEREFORDSHIRE YOUNG MUSICIAN COMPETITION
In conjunction with Hereford Cathedral. Open to young musicians from Herefordshire schools, between the ages of 11-18 at Grade 8 standard. Adjudicated by James Turnbull (oboe). Saturday 18 January 2025, College Hall, Hereford Cathedral. Click here to register
HEREFORD CATHEDRAL SCHOOL
Choral Society
Hereford Cathedral School Choral Society is a friendly choir of parents, staff and members of the local community who meet on Thursday evenings and sing a variety of musical repertoire from Classical to Pop and Music Theatre.
No previous experience needed! Come along and have fun singing with others. Enquiries can be made to Amy Turtle, Music Department Administrator (a.turtle@herefordcs.com).
£15 PER TERM
THURSDAYS 7.30PM - 9PM (term-time only)
ZIMMERMAN MAIN HALL, CHURCH STREET, HEREFORD