The Radcliffe Trust were delighted to be able to award The Charles Wood Festival of Music and Summer School (CWFMSS) a grant to help them return, following the challenges of the last two years due to Covid, with a full programme of over 20 live and digital events in Armagh’s sacred spaces, from Sunday 21st to Sunday 28th August 2022. The week was packed with top-quality music and performance.
The award from the Radcliffe Trustees had a transformative impact on the project. The grant allowed CWFMSS to assemble some of the best young professional and aspiring-professional singers from across the UK and Ireland to take part in their week-long Festival. The singers worked under the expert tuition of David Hill, Philip Scriven and Paul Farrington. These young singers will be able to take the skills they have learned back with them to their communities.
The Charles Wood Singers participated in numerous church services during the week, including a live service of Choral Evensong for BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 24th August, as well as recording a Morning Service for BBC Radio Ulster. Both of these services were recorded in St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral. The choir also performed at Sung Mass in St Malachy’s Church and St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, celebrated on both occasions by Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh.
Many singers choose to return to Armagh each year to participate in The Charles Wood Festival, either as singers or as audience members. In this way, the work of the Festival, supported by The Radcliffe Trust grant, aims to ensure a positive future for sacred church and choral music.