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SUMMER SINGS St John’s Waterloo, August 2025

Inspired by a similar series of ‘Come & Sing’ events held during August in New York City, these sessions aim to offer singers something to keep their voices ‘in trim’ whilst their regular choirs take a summer break. Rather than focus on more ‘traditional’ ‘Come and Sing’ repertoire – singers can find a Mozart/Faure Requiem or ‘Messiah’ to sing most weekends – the aim is to offer something a little different, rather uniquely, with the help of three major composers, and to offer, I hope, some choral stimulation and enlightenment!

None of the music offered is very difficult and many of the older pieces will be familiar to experienced choristers, so any enthusiastic singers are welcome. However, those with at least some confidence when it comes to reading music, will clearly benefit the most.

‘Summer Sings’ will be held at the beautifully re-furbished St John’s Waterloo, which has excellent facilities, an even better acoustic and good transport links. All music will be provided but singers must bring their own refreshments.

Cost: £20.00 per session: £50.00 for all three sessions – places must be booked in advance (I do of course need to keep an eye on the balance of voices and numbers).

Each evening features the work of a living composer – all will be present

To reserve a place or to receive a music list, email davidwordsworth23@gmail.com or click here

click here…

The music of Frank Martin

David’s most recent article for ‘Choir & Organ Magazine’ examines the music of the Swiss-born composer Frank Martin 

Music in Action (January 2025)

David heads to The Channel Islands at the end of January as a guest of ‘Music in Action – Jersey’. On January 25th he will join Imogen Nicholls and Eamonn Dougan, to adjudicate The John Ireland Song Competition and on January 26th will conduct a choral workshop and concert that includes works by John Ireland, his teacher Charles Villiers Stanford and one of his pupils, Benjamin Britten. 

Two new choral anthologies

The Summer of 2024 will see the publication of two choral anthologies:

The Choral Music of Percy Grainger – Schott Music

Choruses from the operas of Benjamin Britten – Boosey & Hawkes

2023 update

Most of 2023 has been reserved for work on the following projects:

The Music of Gavin Bryars, the first book in English on Gavin Bryars and his music – to be published in October 2023.

Two Anthologies of choral music by Percy Grainger – to be published by Schott in 2024.

Research into Polish Choral Music, supported by the Mickiewicz Institute and the Koscuisko Foundation – book to be published in late 2025.

Giving Voice to my Music

David’s new book ‘Giving Voice to my Music’ will be published by Kahn and Averill at the end of July – www.kahnandaverill.co.uk and launched at the Three Choirs Festival on July 30th. John Rutter, one of the composers featured in the book will be in conversation with David at 6pm at the King’s School Theatre, before the main evening concert at Worcester Cathedral.

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February 2021

The first part of David’s survey of the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, to anticipate the 150th anniversary of his birth, appears in the March/April edition of Choir & Organ.

January 2021

David has spent much of lockdown Zoom-interviewing some of the World’s most significant composers of choral music for a new book, ‘Giving Voice to my Music’, to be published by Kahn & Averill in April/May 2021. There are 24 composers included in the book including John Rutter, Bob Chilcott, Judith Weir, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Cecilia McDowall, Sir James Macmillan and Roxanna Panufnik, talking about their earliest musical memories, how they came to be involved in choral music, how they have dealt with working through the pandemic and their hopes for the future.

November/December 2019

The last few weeks of the winter term are a busy time for both the Addison Oratorio and Chamber Choirs. On November 15th the Chamber Choir give a rare performance of the Mozart Requiem, with the orchestral reduction arranged for piano duet by Carl Czerny, at St Martin-in-the-Fields, in London.

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August 2018

The musical world has been mourning the passing of the British composer/conductor Oliver Knussen – an extraordinary composer, inspiring conductor and mentor to so many composers. David remembers his friend and shares a few memories on www.classicalsource.com.

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