About Us

Formerly known as Cumbria Rural Choirs, Cumbria Singers was launched in May 2022.

An annual concert where the programme primarily consists of large-scale choral works, led by a professional conductor and accompanied by professional musicians, will continue to be a major feature of its activities. This will provide participants with the opportunity to enjoy an experience which smaller choirs, with greater financial constraints and smaller numbers, are unlikely to be able to offer. Where circumstances allow, the annual concert will be performed in a high-profile venue in Cumbria with the capacity to accommodate a large choir, orchestra and accompanying singers.

It will also continue to engage an internationally-renowned Conductor for the concert, but this person will also be the Music Director who will lead all the rehearsals throughout the season. A different Music Director/Conductor will be involved each year.

Cumbria Singers will strengthen the links which already exist and increase its communication networks with other choirs, arts venues and cultural groups across the region. This will enable Cumbria Singers to regularly ‘signpost’ its members to other musical events taking place across Cumbria, recruit members and publicise its activities.

As opportunities arise, Cumbria Singers will work collaboratively with other organisations to enable its members to have opportunities to participate in innovative community-based projects co-ordinated by Cumbria Singers or other cultural groups.

2024-25 Season

The Music Director and Conductor will be Matthew Owens. We are very excited about the opportunity to sing with Matthew. He is in demand internationally as a conductor, composer, and organist. He is Founder and Music Director of the Ulster Consort, Northern Ireland’s newest professional vocal and instrumental ensemble; Conductor of the Belfast City Chorus; Professor of Vocals at the Royal Marines School of Music; and Associate Director of the Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys, in Michigan, USA. Previously, he was the director of music at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh, and Wells Cathedral. Under his leadership, Wells Cathedral Choir was named by an international jury for Gramophone as the best choir in the world with children, and the sixth greatest overall. From 2019-2022, he was Director of Music of Belfast Cathedral, where he re-established the choir as a professional adult ensemble, winning international acclaim for its work: “it could well be the finest all-adult standing choir of its kind anywhere, with near-perfect vowel harmony, blend, enunciation, nuanced awareness of phrase and an exceptional, bright and pure soprano group.” (Gramophone). He has guest conducted, among others, the London Mozart Players, Ulster Orchestra, English Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble, Nash Ensemble, and the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. As a conductor he has made over 30 CDs with major labels, and now records exclusively for the award-winning label, Resonus Classics. He has directed choral workshops and summer schools throughout the UK and abroad – including Australia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Kenya, Luxembourg, New Zealand, and the USA. As an organist, Matthew has given recitals in Australia, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, the USA, and throughout the UK. Matthew has championed new music, particularly of British composers, conducting over 200 world premieres, including works by leading composers ranging from Jools Holland to Sir James MacMillan. As a composer himself, Matthew is published by Oxford University Press and Novello. Matthew has already led a very successful and enjoyable Come and Sing day on 8th June for Cumbria Singers and others who wished to join us. Feedback at the end of the day included comments such as “Matthew is very engaging and made it fun!” “Matthew is brilliant!” The 2024-2025 programme will include: Vaughan Williams’ ‘Five Mystical Songs’; ‘Requiem’ by Bob Chilcott and John Rutter’s ‘Gloria’. The performance on 26th April 2025, will take place in the splendour of Carlisle Cathedral, which provides the space for a large choir and orchestra and the appropriate spiritual context to complement the themes of the works. Cumbria Singers are extending a warm welcome to singers from across Cumbria to participate in the preparation and performance of this programme. There are no auditions and no previous experience of choral singing is required, just an enthusiasm for singing and a willingness to learn with the support of an inspiring leader. The choir will be led through a combination of face-to-face rehearsals and e-based tuition (available on-line for practising between rehearsals). The face-to-face rehearsals will commence in September 2024, with most taking place on Saturdays as full-day workshops, divided into morning and afternoon sessions. At least four of these will take place between September and April. An evening rehearsal will be held on the Friday evening in the Cathedral on the weekend of the concert. An afternoon rehearsal with the orchestra takes place on the day of the concert.

You may download the publicity flyer for the current season here. Membership forms, a rehearsal timetable and other material may be downloaded from our Resources section. From early March you will also be able to buy tickets for the concert from Ticket Source - a link will be provided on the Resources page.

Members are able to access the e-based tuition through the members’ area. The password is provided when the membership subscription has been received by our treasurer.

President

  • Lady Cressida Inglewood

Vice-Presidents

  • Anna Clark
  • Ian Hare
  • Eileen Dunning OBE
  • Mark Duthie
  • Andrew Padmore
  • Vic Watson

Patrons

  • Susan Bagot
  • Hal Bagot
  • Melvyn Bragg
  • Mary Cooke
  • Will Todd

Trustees

Whistleblowing officer

  • Stewart Wagstaff

Music Director and Conductor 2024-25

Matthew Owens is in demand internationally as a conductor, composer, and organist. He is Founder and Music Director of the Ulster Consort, Northern Ireland’s newest professional vocal and instrumental ensemble; Conductor of the Belfast City Chorus; Professor of Vocals at the Royal Marines School of Music; and Associate Director of the Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys, in Michigan, USA.

Previously, he was the director of music at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh, and Wells Cathedral. Under his leadership, Wells Cathedral Choir was named by an international jury for Gramophone as the best choir in the world with children, and the sixth greatest overall. From 2019-2022, he was Director of Music of Belfast Cathedral, where he re-established the choir as a professional adult ensemble, winning international acclaim for its work: “it could well be the finest all-adult standing choir of its kind anywhere, with near-perfect vowel harmony, blend, enunciation, nuanced awareness of phrase and an exceptional, bright and pure soprano group.” (Gramophone).

He has guest conducted, among others, the London Mozart Players, Ulster Orchestra, English Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble, Nash Ensemble, and the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. As a conductor he has made over 30 CDs with major labels, and now records exclusively for the award-winning label, Resonus Classics.

He has directed choral workshops and summer schools throughout the UK and abroad – including Australia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Kenya, Luxembourg, New Zealand, and the USA. As an organist, Matthew has given recitals in Australia, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, the USA, and throughout the UK.

Matthew has championed new music, particularly of British composers, conducting over 200 world premieres, including works by leading composers ranging from Jools Holland to Sir James MacMillan. As a composer himself, Matthew is published by Oxford University Press and Novello.

A word from Matthew

This video (11.4 MB / 1 min 13 sec duration) may be downloaded here.

We are really looking forward to getting to know Matthew and benefit from his expertise and approach during the 2024-25 season.

Supporting Cumbria Singers

Becoming a Friend of Cumbria Singers will provide you with regular updates and entitle you to priority booking. For more information, please see our Friend of Cumbria Singers leaflet and application form.

Play The Penrith Lottery

The Penrith Community Fund is a weekly lottery that directly supports local good causes and community initiatives. Select Cumbria Singers! Buy your tickets now! Penrith Lottery

Sponsorship

The costs of our annual concert and other community-based initiatives cannot be met entirely through membership subscriptions. Sponsorship towards particular aspects of the annual concert and other donations is greatly appreciated. Please contact us for further information as to how you can support us.

Fund Raising Sponsored Walk

In April 2024, Tim Hirst, a member of Cumbria Singers, embarked on a 2280 mile virtual walk along the USA’s iconic Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles - an average of more than 6 miles every day for a year! Tim has volunteered to use this challenge as an opportunity to raise funds for Cumbria Singers and would be very grateful to anyone generous enough to provide support. Tim will not ask for any money to be paid unless and until he has completed the journey. Please contact Tim to sponsor this tremendous initiative: email Tim Hirst

Other sponsorship opportunities

The costs of our annual concert and other community-based initiatives cannot be met entirely through membership subscriptions. Sponsorship towards particular aspects of the annual concert and other donations are greatly appreciated. Please contact us for further information as to how you can support us.