Summer Sings brings choral singers together to explore and enjoy music during the long summer break between choir terms. Led by David Wordsworth, an internationally sought-after musician, writer, and conductor, these workshops span traditional and contemporary classical music and, wherever possible, feature living composers or their representatives.
Following the success of last year’s season of Summer Sings, David has arranged a new series of evening events at St John’s Waterloo, London—the church of the Festival of Britain, which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary. The events are:
Thursday 13 August 2026 – Celebrating American Music: an evening showcasing the richness of American composition. Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms is the centrepiece, alongside works by Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, Ned Rorem, and Undine Smith Moore.
Thursday 20 August 2026 – William Mathias and more: exploring works by Welsh composer William Mathias (1934–1992), who wrote the anthem Let the People Praise Thee, O God for the 1981 royal wedding; it will feature in this evening’s programme. Our guest, his daughter Dr Rhiannon Mathias, will speak about her father’s music. The evening will also include music by Vaughan Williams, Grace Williams, and Dominic McGonigal. Grace Williams, another notable Welsh composer, was the first British woman to score a feature film.
Thursday 27 August 2026 – the Festival of Britain at 75. Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Festival of Britain at the festival’s church, the programme features music sung by choirs invited to perform Evensong at St John’s in 1951, including works by Stanford, Bairstow, S S Wesley (organist at St John’s, 1829–30), Charles Wood, Holst, and others.
Singers will benefit most from the sessions if they have some choral experience. Music will be provided, but participants should bring their own refreshments. St John’s Waterloo, 73 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8TY
Tickets are £25 per session or £65 for all three when booked in advance from www.ticketsource.com/summer-sings. A booking fee applies.