From a chorister who’s sung in a church choir for 76 years to a vicar who brought Canterbury trebles to his village parish – people who dedicate their time to keeping music at the heart of services in churches and chapels across Wales, Sunday after Sunday, will be recognised next weekend.
Organists, choral leaders and singers will be presented with awards and certificates by the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, at a ceremony at Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno on Saturday, April 9, 2.30pm.
There are two award categories – the Archbishop of Wales’ Award for Church Music recognises people of outstanding musical ability who contribute to worship, while the Certificate of Merit pays tribute to the talents and devoted service of those who are not necessarily professionally trained.
This year three people will also receive an Honorary Award for their contribution to music in the wider community.
Dr Morgan said: “I am delighted to be presenting these awards. Music plays an enormously important part in Christian worship and we are blessed in Wales with an excellent body of choirs and musicians. These awards recognise the dedication, talent and hard-work put in week after week by those people – from the professionally-trained musicians achieving exceptionally high artistic standards to the army of skilled volunteers without whom many of our churches and chapels would simply grind to a musical halt.”
Chairman of the Awards Committee, Dr Richard Fenwick, who is also Dean of Monmouth, said, “The musical tradition of the Anglican Church has been a very strong one. However, this strength and excellence depends upon the goodwill and hard work of a relatively small number of people. It’s an excellence which we cannot take for granted and these awards, first founded by Archbishop Alwyn Rice Jones in the mid 1990s, is a way of finding and affirming both the talent and dedication that there is within the churches and chapels of Wales.”
