ACCLAIMED COMPOSER SET TO HOLD SINGING MASTERCLASS IN CHESTER

Final preparations are underway in Chester for a masterclass in choral singing, which is set to be led by one of the UK's leading composers of contemporary choral music.

Chester Bach Singers are set to host the special event at St Mary's Without-the Walls Church in Handbridge on Saturday 31st January between 11:30am and 6:00pm. Entitled "All Will Be Well", the workshop will be led by acclaimed composer Will Todd whose works include contemporary choral music, carols and operas. The half-day workshop will conclude will an informal ticketed public performance featuring the pieces covered during the tutorial. Complimentary refreshments for participants will also be available throughout the day. 

Will Todd taught himself the piano from an early age and grew up in County Durham. His early musical journey began with the Durham County Music Service and St Oswald’s Choir in Durham. In 1981, he was awarded a music scholarship to study at Durham School. His love of improvising has been the central force in a wide ranging career of composing and playing. Will has worked with many of the UK’s leading music organisations including The Royal Ballet and Opera, Welsh National Opera, Opera North, The Hallé Orchestra, Opera Holland Park, The Sixteen, Tenebrae, The BBC Singers and the BBC Concert Orchestra. He has also performed and directed his music internationally as well as working all over the UK with professional and amateur choirs as well as young singers.

Will's compositions include anthems and larger sacred concert works including Mass in Blue, which has been performed hundreds of times around the world since its 2003 premiere. His carol My Lord Has Come has become a worldwide favourite since it was included in Oxford University Press’s Carols for Choirs Five in 2012. Other popular choral pieces include Passion Music, Jazz Missa Brevis and his arrangement of Amazing Grace. Will's theatre credits include The Screams of Kitty Genovese, produced most recently by Tête à Tête Opera in London and Edinburgh, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Christmas Carol for Opera Holland Park, Angels On The Underground recorded for film by The Sixteen, and Sing, Dance, Leap, a work commissioned for Bradford City of Culture in 2025 by the Royal Ballet and Opera.

Speaking about the workshop, Will said:

"On my singing days, I like to blend improvisation exercises and fun warm-ups, alongside looking at a wide range of my choral material. I love working with singers of all abilities to ensure that the day is an enjoyable experience for everyone."

Helen Crich, the Chair of Chester Bach Singers said:

"Please join us for our special workshop led by Will Todd. It promises to be a joyful and musically fulfilling afternoon of exceptional contemporary choral music! For those who may not have sung much of Will's music before, we offer the chance to learn and perform his Jazz Missa Brevis and for those who may already be more familiar with his style, we have a wide variety of shorter works from his Songs of Peace, Footprints Suite, and the whimsical Kites, Cards, and Constellations. We are also looking forward to welcoming potential new recruits to our open rehearsal, if you love singing and are looking for a new challenge in 2026, why not come and join us!"

Full details of Chester Bach Singers choral workshop with Will Todd and the open rehearsal can be found at: 

www.chesterbachsingers.org.uk 

...where places can be reserved online.