Celebration Day

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, Saturday 17 May 2008

Over 650 singers of all ages from 55 church choirs in the north-west and north Wales joined together in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on Saturday 17th May to sing at the annual Celebration Day of the RSCM. The service, on the eve of Trinity Sunday, included music ranging from Stanford to Graham Kendrick, and a new piece by Noel Rawsthorne composed especially for the occasion. Local connections were also made with the inclusion of a hymn tune by Ian Sharp (Chair, RSCM Liverpool Area) and a psalm setting by Timothy Noon (Director of Music at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral).

Honorary awards were presented to leading church musicians, including Dr David Hill, chief conductor of the BBC Singers, Prof Ian Tracey, the Anglican cathedral’s Organist Titulaire, and the singer/songwriter Graham Kendrick. The massed choir was directed by former King’s Singer Brian Kay, who is a Vice President of the RSCM.

During the service, the Director of the RSCM, Lindsay Gray, relaunched the RSCM's Friends scheme, saying that the cost of a year's subscription is "equivalent to watching sixty-seven minutes at a premier football match”. He also affirmed the work of RSCM members and volunteers in the region and the Liverpool cathedrals.

Below are some photographs taken during the rehearsal and service, and the text of Lindsay Gray's address can be read here.

More information about the honorary awards presented during the service can be found on the honorary awards web page.

Photos © Geoff Roberts