Wells Cathedral School Choralia has won the Grand Prize at the 9th Musica Eterna Roma International Choir Festival & Competition.
The girls choir, conducted by Christopher Finch, also took home the Category Prize (Youth Choirs of Equal Voices) and Special Prize, winning the most categories of any group in the competition.
Runners up included:
- UiTM Women’s Chorale, Chamber Choir and Men’s Glee Club from Malaysia
- Taipei Fu-Hsing Private School Choir from Taiwan
- St Cyprian’s Singers from South Africa
- Taichung Artist Chamber Choir from Taiwan
- Naiskuoro Timotei from Finland
The Festival featured guest performances from the Coro Città di Roma and Yip’s Children’s Choir from Hong Kong.
Wells Cathedral School Choralia
Founded in 2012, Wells Cathedral School Choralia is described by Naxos as ‘one of Europe’s leading upper voice choirs’ and the choir’s 2015 album, The Song of the Stars, was released on that label with producer, Mark Brown. The choir was also selected to compete in the international stages of ‘Let the Peoples Sing 2013’, a major international choral competition.
The choir has since reached the Category Finals of BBC Radio 3’s Choir of the Year competition and performed at Sage Gateshead, LSO St Luke’s, Milton Court, St George’s Bristol, Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris, the Philharmonie Luxembourg and Wells Cathedral.
World-class training
Wells Cathedral School Choralia is formed of students from Wells Cathedral School. Wells’ students have enjoyed masterclasses and workshops from leading figures such as London Philharmonic Orchestra principal trumpet, Paul Beniston, conductor and British Paraorchestra founder, Charles Hazlewood, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama composition professor, Paul Whitmarsh.
The school is one of four music specialist schools in England to enjoy support from the British Government’s Music and Dance Scheme, which provides grants and help with fees to a total of eight independent schools and 21 centres for advanced training for children aged 8-19. The other three music specialist schools in the scheme are Chetham’s School in Manchester, Purcell School in Hertfordshire and Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey.
