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
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Judith Bingham: Choral Music
Jonathan Vaughn, Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 2013/07/28
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bob Chilcott: Requiem & Other Choral Works
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 2012/03/23
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) - Griffin Records 発売日 1997/01/01
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Psalms of David, Vol. 2: O Praise the Lord of Heaven
Wells Cathedral Choir, Christopher Brayne, Anthony Crossland
Classical - Priory Records 発売日 1990/01/12
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christmas from Wells
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Regent Records 発売日 2006/08/01
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Burgon: Nunc dimittis, Short Mass & Other Choral Music
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 2006/11/01
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Evensong for St. Andrew's Day
Wells Cathedral Choir, Malcolm Archer, Rupert Gough
Choral Music (Choirs) - Griffin Records 発売日 2011/01/25
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Songs of Sunshine
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Regent Records 発売日 2012/01/10
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music for Passiontide & Easter
Wells Cathedral Choir, Anthony Crossland, Andrew Nethsingha, Crossland
Classical - Priory Records 発売日 1991/09/18
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jonathan Dove: Choral Music
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 2010/08/31
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Absolute Christmas, Vol. 7
Norwich Cathedral Choir, Marlborough Cathedral Choir, Wells Cathedral Choir
Ambient/New Age - Snowy Christmas Records 発売日 2016/10/26
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MacMillan: Choral Music
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 2011/05/31
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The English Hymn 2 – Jerusalem the Golden (Great 19th-Century Hymns)
Wells Cathedral Choir, Rupert Gough, Malcolm Archer
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 2001/01/01
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The English Hymn 1 – Christ Triumphant (Great 20th-Century Hymns)
Wells Cathedral Choir, Rupert Gough, Malcolm Archer
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 1999/11/01
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kenneth Leighton: The World's Desire & Other Choral Works
Wells Cathedral Choir, David Bednall, Matthew Owens
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 2008/05/01
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Howells: Collegium Regale; Windsor & New College Services & Other Choral Music
Wells Cathedral Choir, Malcolm Archer
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 2005/06/01
16-Bit CD音質 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 - Hyperion 発売日 2002/09/01
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The English Hymn 5 – Lead, Kindly Light (Hymns of Faith & Assurance)
Wells Cathedral Choir, Rupert Gough, Malcolm Archer
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 2004/08/01
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The English Hymn 4 – All Things Bright & Beautiful (Hymns for Children)
Wells Cathedral Choir, Rupert Gough, Malcolm Archer
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 2003/05/01
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Choral Evensong
Wells Cathedral Choir, Anthony Crossland, Andrew Nethsinga
Choral Music (Choirs) - Griffin Records 発売日 1994/01/01
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
William Mathias: Missa brevis & Other Choral Music
Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens
Classical - Hyperion 発売日 2009/05/01
16-Bit CD音質 44.1 kHz - Stereo