Wells Cathedral Choir
The Wells Cathedral Choir has been ranked by a Gramophone jury as the sixth-best choir in the world, and the best with boys; honors from outside the classical world include a certificate of excellence from travel website TripAdvisor. The choir's tradition is long even by English standards; there is a record of boys having sung at Wells Cathedral in the year 909, and the current choral tradition dates back to the early 13th century. The choir consists of 18 boy choristers, 18 girl choristers, and 12 adult male Vicars Choral. The boy and girl choristers usually sing separately, in combination with the Vicars Choral, but are sometimes massed for larger performances. The Vicars Choral, who are not ecclesiastical officials (the words "vicar" and "vice" are related, and the vicars were historically substitutes for the canons), date back to the 1100s; the girl choristers were added in 1994.
Like other cathedral choirs, the Wells Cathedral Choir is integral to daily worship at the cathedral. The group is also notable for its large volume of concert activity. The choir has sung with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and, in 2014, the Berlin Radio Choir and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Simon Rattle. Perhaps alone among cathedral choirs, the Wells Cathedral Choir has its own festival, new music wells, founded in June of 2008. Premieres there have included works by Judith Bingham, Geoffrey Burgon, Bob Chilcott, Jonathan Dove, Gabriel Jackson, John Joubert, James MacMillan, Peter Maxwell Davies, Tarik O’Regan, John Rutter, Howard Skempton, and John Tavener.
The Wells Cathedral Choir has a large catalog of recordings, many of them on the Hyperion, Griffin, Regent, and Resonus Classics labels; recordings include contemporary compositions as well as liturgical music and Renaissance English repertory. In 2016 the choir released A Wells Christmas. Associated musical activities include a Wells Cathedral Junior Choir. At this writing, Wells Cathedral's Organist and Master of Choristers is Matthew Owens.
© James Manheim /TiVo
-
Judith Bingham: Choral Music
Jonathan Vaughn, Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 28 de jul. de 2013
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bob Chilcott: Requiem & Other Choral Works
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 23 de mar. de 2012
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Favourite Hymns From Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral Choir, Malcolm Archer, Rupert Gouch, Wells Cathedral School Brass Ensemble
Choral Music (Choirs) - Lançado por Griffin Records em 1 de jan. de 1997
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Psalms of David, Vol. 2: O Praise the Lord of Heaven
Wells Cathedral Choir, Christopher Brayne, Anthony Crossland
Classical - Lançado por Priory Records em 12 de jan. de 1990
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jingle Wells
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Lançado por Regent Records Ltd em 26 de nov. de 2012
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christmas from Wells
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Lançado por Regent Records em 1 de ago. de 2006
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Burgon: Nunc dimittis, Short Mass & Other Choral Music
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 1 de nov. de 2006
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Evensong for St. Andrew's Day
Wells Cathedral Choir, Malcolm Archer, Rupert Gough
Choral Music (Choirs) - Lançado por Griffin Records em 25 de jan. de 2011
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Songs of Sunshine
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Lançado por Regent Records em 10 de jan. de 2012
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music for Passiontide & Easter
Wells Cathedral Choir, Anthony Crossland, Andrew Nethsingha, Crossland
Classical - Lançado por Priory Records em 18 de set. de 1991
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jonathan Dove: Choral Music
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 31 de ago. de 2010
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Absolute Christmas, Vol. 7
Norwich Cathedral Choir, Marlborough Cathedral Choir, Wells Cathedral Choir
Ambient/New Age - Lançado por Snowy Christmas Records em 26 de out. de 2016
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MacMillan: Choral Music
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 31 de mai. de 2011
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The English Hymn 2 – Jerusalem the Golden (Great 19th-Century Hymns)
Wells Cathedral Choir, Rupert Gough, Malcolm Archer
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 1 de jan. de 2001
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The English Hymn 1 – Christ Triumphant (Great 20th-Century Hymns)
Wells Cathedral Choir, Rupert Gough, Malcolm Archer
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 1 de nov. de 1999
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kenneth Leighton: The World's Desire & Other Choral Works
Wells Cathedral Choir, David Bednall, Matthew Owens
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 1 de mai. de 2008
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Howells: Collegium Regale; Windsor & New College Services & Other Choral Music
Wells Cathedral Choir, Malcolm Archer
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 1 de jun. de 2005
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The English Hymn 3 – Hills of the North, Rejoice (Hymns for the Church Year)
Wells Cathedral Choir, Rupert Gough, Malcolm Archer
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 1 de set. de 2002
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The English Hymn 5 – Lead, Kindly Light (Hymns of Faith & Assurance)
Wells Cathedral Choir, Rupert Gough, Malcolm Archer
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 1 de ago. de 2004
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The English Hymn 4 – All Things Bright & Beautiful (Hymns for Children)
Wells Cathedral Choir, Rupert Gough, Malcolm Archer
Classical - Lançado por Hyperion em 1 de mai. de 2003
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Choral Evensong
Wells Cathedral Choir, Anthony Crossland, Andrew Nethsinga
Choral Music (Choirs) - Lançado por Griffin Records em 1 de jan. de 1994
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo