Former pupil to conduct in Durham Cathedral

(18 June 2008)

Former Durham School pupil Ralph Woodward is to return to his home town on Saturday 21st June to conduct a concert in Durham Cathedral. The concert is entitled Heavenly Concord and will feature the world-famous counter tenor James Bowman. Tickets are still available for the concert priced at £15, £12 (concessions) and free of charge for under-16s.

Ralph Woodward was born in Durham and educated at Durham School. He spent four years as Organ Scholar at Queens' College, Cambridge. While there, he conducted the Chapel Choir's first two CDs and gave world premieres of numerous works. These included three pieces by Stanford, one of which he edited for publication.

Now a freelance conductor and keyboard player, Ralph has written often on the music of Benjamin Britten, and was described by the Independent on Sunday as a 'leading authority' on the composer. He has a wide performing repertoire, particular specialisms being the music of Bach and Mozart, the French Baroque and Scandinavian music.

Ralph is Musical Director of the Fairhaven Singers of Cambridge, Full Score, the Britten-Pears Chamber Choir (based at Snape Maltings) and the Northumbrian Recorder and Viol School. He has been involved in educational projects with the English Sinfonia, the BBC Singers and English National Opera, and has appeared live on Radio 3's 'In Tune'. His international work has included engagements at Harvard University, in Chicago, Tunis, Prague, Stockholm and Venice, and throughout the Gulf and Far East. He has conducted Cambridge Baroque Camerata, Cambridge Sinfonia, the Tallis Chamber Orchestra and the Brandenburg Sinfonia. He frequently contributes articles and programme notes, and carries out a wide range of editorial tasks for Oxford University Press, with particular involvement in the William Walton Edition.

Past projects have included work with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Christopher Hogwood, Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance and Stephen Layton.

next event

SMT Meeting
Thursday, 09 September 2010

Testimonials

"An excellent atmosphere between pupils and staff with a really good House system, great teaching and a fantastic pastoral side. I thoroughly enjoyed attending Durham School and am very sad to leave."
Graham Thorpe