PERSHORE ABBEY, WORCESTERSHIRE
18th June 2022
Join composer & conductor Matthew Coleridge for a glorious day of music-making in the incredible church of Pershore Abbey. Spend the day learning his "exquisitely beautiful" REQUIEM, before singing in an atmospheric evening performance, conducted by the composer.
Teresa Stubbs - Buckfast Abbey workshop 2019
Hailed by the late Sir Neville Marriner as "a valuable contribution to 21st Century choral repertoire", Requiem is an uplifting and deeply moving piece to sing. Its young composer is an engaging and charismatic conductor, bringing out the best in singers with enthusiasm and warm encouragement.
Don't miss this opportunity to perform this remarkable piece of music in one of Britain's finest parish churches!
Simon O'Hea - Portsmouth Cathedral workshop, 2020
Singer ticket with loan of vocal score on the day
Singer ticket with advance purchase of vocal score (includes p&p)
Audience ticket for the evening concert performance
Church Walk, Pershore, WR10 1BB
The triumphant remnant of a Mediaeval Benedictine Monastery. Rebuilding and remodelling have produced a mixture of Norman, Early English, Decorated Gothic and Victorian architecture. The Abbey is one of the Midlands' finest venues for choral music, with a truly sublime acoustic - and by the time of our workshop, a brand new pipe organ by the renowned Ruffatti Brothers
Pershore is 10 minutes for M5 Junction 7 (Worcester South), and within easy reach of Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Malvern and Stratford-upon-Avon.
All day parking (£4) is available at Abbey Park, a couple of minutes' walk from the Abbey.
There is unrestricted free parking on several streets a short walk from the Abbey.
X50 and 53 buses run a regular service to the centre of Pershore from Worcester and Evesham.
Pershore railway station 1.6 miles from the Abbey (on Worcester - Oxford line; 10min bus ride to the Abbey).
singer registration and distribution of music (music loan is included in the workshop fee). At ST ANDREW'S CENTRE (adjacent to Pershore Abbey)
intros and warm-ups at St Andrew's Centre
move to the Abbey for morning workshop around the piano with composer Matthew Coleridge. We'll learn our parts, and hear insights and about the writing of his Requiem. There will be mid-morning refreshment breaks, and some sectional rehearsals.
break for lunch. You'll find a wide selection of cafés and coffee shops nearby.
afternoon rehearsal
Evening concert performance. You'll sing Matthew's Requiem in an atmospheric concert at Pershore Abbey. Our soloists will perform items during the first half of the concert
After the workshop, we'll be giving a formal concert performance of Requiem (and other works, TBC) at 7pm. Please bring suitable concert attire.
Ladies: black, long-sleeved top; black skirt or trousers.
Men: blacks shirt and trousers (no tie)
Composer and conductor Matthew Coleridge (b.1980) is an exciting voice in the British choral music scene. His first choral composition - the Corpus Christi Carol - was recorded by a cappella group The Queen's Six, appearing on the cover CD of BBC Music Magazine's Christmas edition in 2015.
His highly melodic and very approachable compositional style often blends elements of plainsong and medieval music with shimmering modern harmonies - weaving simple melodic lines into rich tapestries of sound.
Requiem (composed 2014-15) was hailed by the late Sir Neville Marriner as "a valuable addition to the 21st century choral repertoire". Is is regularly performed by choirs across the UK, and overseas.
Matthew's 'Requiem in a Day' choral workshops are very popular amongst choral singers, giving them the opportunity to sing this wonderful piece in some of the UK's most prestigious church buildings.
Come and sing Matthew Coleridge's Requiem in some of the country's most inspiring cathedrals, abbeys and churches. All events are directed by the composer.
Come and sing Requiem in one of Yorkshire's most spectacular churches, the vast Gothic Revival church of St Wilfrid. With organist Anthony Gray.
Come and sing Matthew Coleridge's Requiem in the excellent acoustics of one of Britain's most striking modernist churches - the spectacular All Saints, Clifton.
One of the best places to sing in the North West, Blackburn Cathedral possesses one of the best pipe organs in the country, and a six-second reverb. Come and join in the fun!
New music workshop on Matthew's latest major choral work. There are few better places to be in August than this spectacular Abbey set amongst Dorset's rolling hills.
Come and sing Matthew Coleridge's Requiem in the picture postcard village of Dorchester-on-Thames, with an evening performance conducted by the composer. Bring a picnic and enjoy the sunshine!
Come and sing Matthew Coleridge's Requiem in the Romsey's spectacular Norman abbey, near Southampton.
Come and sing Matthew Coleridge's Requiem with over 200 singers in one of Europe's most spectacular Medieval cathedrals.
Come and sing in one of England's finest parish churches - the Collegiate Church of St Mary in Warwick. With Oliver Hancock (organ)
Join Matthew and professional orchestra the St Woolos Sinfonia, for the Welsh premiere of Requiem, in the wonderful Cathderal of St Woolos Newport, South Wales.
Come and sing Matthew Coleridge's Requiem in the glorious acoustic of Pershore's superlative Abbey church.
Originally scheduled for March 2020; awaiting a rescheduled date
A valuable addition to the 21st century choral repertoire
Sir Neville Marriner
This was no ordinary 'come and sing'! A work of exquisite beauty
Music in Portsmouth review, 2020
You are a true tunesmith - well-crafted and inspiring music!
Dr David Price - Master of the Chorister, Portsmouth Cathedral
Beautiful... I find myself entranced by the openness of this music.
Paul Carr - composer
A glorious piece to sing - a lot of us were in tears by the end of it
Teresa Stubbs - Buckfast Abbey workshop 2019
A singular voice - and that is an exceedingly rare thing!
Michael McGlynn - Anúna
A joy and privilege to sing this most beautiful piece of music under the direction of the composer himself
Heather Harvey - Buckfast Abbey workshop 2019
Thank you for a wonderful day. You were so encouraging and patient. I can't imagine not singing your Requiem again. I absolutely loved the day!
Monica Kent - Louth workshop 2019
We were enthralled by the pure beauty of your Requiem. Parts of it were quite exquisite and we loved the fact that you, the composer, were directing us with such skill and clarity of conducting. Thank you so very much for a phenomenal day
Jeanne Apsland - Buckfast Abbey workshop 2019