Peter Ward Jones (1944-2026) played the organ for the choir some 7 times. His last book ‘British Choral Singing’ (35% discount available using the code BB135) is scholarly in method while highly readable, the book offers invaluable background to choral practitioners. When choral activity is reviving healthily after the Covid 19 pandemic, such a volume appears timely, reminding the reader of the essentially communal and social nature of the choral experience.
A review in the Gramophone magazine, noted its
‘fulsome references and valuable bibliography’ observing that, while acknowledging the dangers to the choral tradition posed by post-Covid economic pressures, ‘Ward Jones, in optimistic mood, suggests that the very impetus that inspired the nation’s desire to sing will ultimately determine its survival and its retention as a national imperative’.
Peter’s contribution to Mendelssohn scholarship was of prime importance among his research interests, and deeply connected with his post as Librarian at the Bodleian as well as the Music Faculty.
The Cathedral Chamber Choir 