PRESS INFORMATION

News Desk From: To: Christine Doyle

Date: Thursday 11th September 2014 Tel: 07769738180

Coventry Cathedral’s lunchtime organ concert on Monday 15th September at 1pm

On Monday 15th September the guest at the Cathedral’s lunchtime concert will be Benjamin Chewter from Chester Cathedral.

Benjamin will be performing Veni Creator Spiritus (1: Plein Jeu, 2: Fugue à 5, 3: Duo, 4: Récit du Cromorne, 5: Dialogue sur les Grands Jeux) by de Grigny, Ave Maria, Ave Maris Stella (Trois Paraphrases Grégoriennes, Op.5 No.2) by Langlais, Aria by Peeters and Allegro deciso (Evocation) by Dupré.

Admission to the lunchtime concert series is free of charge. For details of all the concerts, visit www.coventrycathedral.org.uk or pick up a leaflet at the Cathedral entrance or Gift Shop.

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Notes to Editors

Benjamin Chewter is the Assistant Director of Music at Chester Cathedral where he is responsible for the accompaniment of the statutory services; he also assists with the training of the choristers and directs the Cathedral’s Nave Choir.

Benjamin was educated at Christ's Hospital School and held the Organ Scholarship at Canterbury Cathedral before going up to Emmanuel College, Cambridge as (where he read Music and was Organist of King’s Voices, the mixed-voice choir of King’s College Chapel).

Subsequently he held the Organ Scholarship at and was Assistant Organist of Lincoln Cathedral for three years before taking up his current post. As an organist and conductor he has performed extensively throughout the UK (at venues including Westminster Abbey, Lichfield, Gloucester, St Paul’s, Canterbury, St Albans and Westminster Cathedrals, and St John's Smith Square in London) and abroad (Sweden, Mexico, Latvia, France, Belgium, Poland and Germany).

New music has a strong place in his repertoire, and he has premiered new works by Philip Moore, Matthew Martin, Francis Pott and Howard Skempton. Benjamin continues his studies in organ repertoire and improvisation with David Briggs and Stephen Farr. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of and also holds the College's Choral Conducting Diploma.

The programme of concerts for the summer series is below:

15 September Benjamin Chewter (Chester Cathedral) Veni Creator Spiritus (1: Plein Jeu, 2: Fugue à 5, 3: Duo, 4: Récit du Cromorne, 5: Dialogue sur les Grands Jeux) (de Grigny) Ave Maria, Ave Maris Stella (Trois Paraphrases Grégoriennes, Op.5 No.2) (Langlais) Aria (Peeters) Allegro deciso (Evocation) (Dupré)

22 September Thomas Corns (St. Mary’s Warwick) Sonata IV, Op. 65, No.4 (IV. Allegro Maestoso e vivace) (Mendelssohn) Sicilienne (Suite pour orgue, Op.5) (Duruflé) Gaudeamus in loci pace (MacMillan) Final (Deuxième Symphonie Op.20) (Vierne)

29 September Kerry Beaumont (Coventry Cathedral) Prelude and Fugue No.3 in E flat major (Saint-Saëns) Toccata per l’Elevazione (Frescobaldi) Aria, con variazioni (Martini) Sicilienne (Paradis) Toccata (Lanquetuit)