THE Edington Festival of Music has announced that Portsmouth Cathedral Choir is the successful recipient for the first Edington Festival Award.

The Cathedral will use the £3,000 award to help support individual singing lessons for each of their girl and boy choristers over the coming year.

There is a richly diverse music department at Portsmouth Cathedral, which in addition to educating some 50 boys and girls through their Cathedral Choir and Cantate, engages with over 1,000 local children over the course of the academic year through their ‘Cathedral Sing’ outreach programme.

Edington Festival’s Director, Richard Pinel, said: “We are delighted that the first Edington Festival Award has gone to Portsmouth, and we wish Dr David Price and all the music team the very best for their post-lockdown return to singing.

"All the shortlisted candidates made strong cases, and it was not an easy decision, particularly in view of the difficulties being experienced by cathedrals and churches throughout the UK.”

Dr David Price, Portsmouth Cathedral’s organist and master of choristers, said: “Portsmouth Cathedral is absolutely thrilled to be the first recipient of the Edington Festival Award.

"Training for a chorister is an incredible opportunity for young boys and girls, and thanks to this award over 50 choristers from our choirs will receive dedicated vocal coaching over the coming year."

"We are very grateful for the support of the Edington Festival Award during this extremely challenging year for our choirs and choristers.”

The Edington Music Festival Award was made possible by a bequest which has been invested by the Edington Music Festival.

The award was decided in collaboration with Cathedral Music Trust and its Diamond Fund for Choristers.

The 2021 Edington Music Festival will be the 65th and will run from Sunday, August 22 to Sunday, August 29.