Festival Announces Award Winner 2023

The winner of the 2023 Edington Festival Award is Newcastle Cathedral. A grant of £3000 has formed part of a larger grant from the Cathedral Music Trust which will allow every Newcastle Cathedral chorister to receive individual singing tuition from an expert teacher, whilst also revolutionising their Organ and Choral Scholarship programmes.

The award was set up by the Edington Music Festival in 2019 using a legacy from a festival supporter, through the offices of the Cathedral Music Trust, which administers the award as part of its grants scheme. Its aim is to support musical training, and vocal training in particular, for boy and girl choristers at churches which have an established choir and regularly sing services. These choirs have an ambition to improve and expand the scope of their activities, but do not have the infrastructure or budgets to achieve it. The award is entirely inclusive, so that training will be supported for all choristers in the winning church.

Ian Roberts, Director of Music at Newcastle Cathedral, is hoping to be able to attend part of the 2023 Edington Festival during the last week in August to receive the award in person. “We are so very grateful to the Edington Festival for the Edington Festival Award. With a growing number of choristers from a wide variety of backgrounds at Newcastle, this award will ensure that all of our Choristers receive the regular individual singing lessons that will be crucial to their vocal development.”

Festival Director Robert Quinney adds, “As the oldest festival of music within the liturgy in the world, we are delighted to be able to continue supporting the musical education of the choristers who will beautify daily worship in churches and cathedrals for years to come.”

Previous Winners

2020 – Portsmouth Cathedral

2021 – Leicester Cathedral

2022 – St Peter’s Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton.