INSPIRING CATHEDRAL CLASSICS SINGING WORKSHOP ENJOYED BY ALL

Singing Workshop, 5th July 2025: Cathedral Classics

We were delighted to welcome 40 singers to join us at Spittal Community Centre for the first of our two singing workshops this summer. Under the expert leadership of local choral leader Gary Griffiths, we enjoyed a full day of tuition and practical demonstration of how to improve our singing.

After an initial session to teach the essentials of efficient breathing, and some vocal training exercises to facilitate voice production and good singing technique, his exploration of “Cathedral Classics” took us through selected pieces of church music spanning the 16th to 20th centuries, from composers including Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, W A Mozart, Charles Wood and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

A wonderful day ended with a performance of four of the pieces (to a small but very appreciative audience), namely:

• Dies Irae (from Mozart’s Requiem)

• Let us now praise famous men (Vaughan Williams)

• Thou the Central Orb (Wood)

• If Ye Love Me (Tallis)

Although most of us were reasonably experienced singers, choral music of this type was new to some, but all agreed that it had been a stimulating and thoroughly enjoyable day – time well spent on a summer Saturday!

Gary Griffiths

Our thanks go to Gary Griffiths for this inspiring workshop – we are looking forward to repeating this at the next workshop on 9th August, also at Spittal Community Centre, when we will be discovering the Glories of Italy. If you are interested in joining us, please contact berwickartschoir@gmail.com