Wells Cathedral School Foundation

28/10/2026

Congratulations to Thomas Farnon (OW 2012), who has been nominated for an Ivors Composer Award!
His score for David Frost Vs... is shortlisted in the Best Original Documentary Score category at the awards, which recognise composers for their contribution to contemporary culture.
Read more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck79p7zpwvx2o

27/10/2026

Old Wellensian specialist musician Ashby Mayes (OW 2017) has just passed his trial to become Principal Bassoon of the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen - one of the State Orchestras from the North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. Ashby is an exceptional young musician who collected several musical accolades at Wells and joined us on two international tours before studying at The Royal College of Music in London and then The Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Mannheim. We are delighted to congratulate him on gaining this coveted position and wish him good luck in the next stage of his already flourishing career.

23/10/2026

Join us for Christmas Carols in London!
Our whole community is invited to come and hear our amazing pupils sing in this beautiful setting.
Monday 7th December
The Crypt on the Green, Clerkenwell
Tickets £10 (£7 for Students)
W**e and Mince pies after the concert
Book your tickets now! https://community.wells-cathedral-school.com/events/view/london-carol-concert
🎼❄🎅🌲

20/10/2026

We are thrilled for Hetta Falzon (OW 2022), who has just finished a residency at the Montreux Jazz festival with school friends Amy Cleverly (OW 2022), Helena Kieser (OW 2022) & Tom Mahoney (OW 2021)
Congratulations to all involved! 🤩
More information can be found here: https://www.mjaf.ch/en/about-us/

19/10/2026

Come along to the Wells Festival of Literature on Wednesday evening to hear Oz Clarke in converation with Neil Tully (OW 1981) about all things w**e 🍷🥂🍾

Oz Clarke in conversation with Neil Tully A Vine is a Wild Thing: A W**e-Lover’s Guide to Grapes, Growers and Gloriously Good Bottles For more information please click here

07/10/2026

10 Years of Cedars Hall! 🎼🪉🎷🎭
Ten years ago, the doors of Cedars Hall opened for the first time, marking the beginning of an extraordinary new chapter for Wells Cathedral School and the wider community.

As the Wells Cathedral School Foundation, we are incredibly proud of the role philanthropy played in making Cedars Hall possible. The vision was ambitious: to create a world-class performance venue that would transform the School’s provision for music and the expressive arts, while providing a space that could be shared with the wider community.

Ten years on, we can see just how far that vision has reached.

Cedars Hall has become a place where pupils discover their voices, develop confidence, take creative risks and perform at the highest level. It has provided countless opportunities for musicians, actors, composers, ensembles and young artists to learn, collaborate and share their work with audiences.

Its impact can also be seen in the achievements of our pupils and the growing recognition of the School’s creative excellence. From the recent national award success for our production of Shakespeare in Love to being shortlisted for Outstanding School Music Department at the Music & Drama Education Awards 2027, Cedars Hall has helped provide the environment, facilities and opportunities in which exceptional work can flourish.

And its impact extends beyond our pupils. Cedars Hall has welcomed audiences, performers, schools and organisations from across the region, becoming an important cultural venue within our community. From the Wells festival of literature, the Wells Comedy festival to Summer Schools and Symphony Orchestras: Cedars Hall has seen it all.

This is the power of philanthropy. A gift can create a building, but its true impact is measured in the experiences, opportunities and achievements that follow. Ten years of Cedars Hall represents thousands of those moments.

So today, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to every supporter who helped make Cedars Hall a reality. Your generosity created something that continues to inspire, challenge and bring people together every day.

Here’s to 10 years of music, dance, drama, creativity and community, and to everything still to come. 💙

06/10/2026

On Friday, Emily Eavis (OW 1997) received an award from The Ivors Academy Honours. She was recognised for her impact on music and culture, and her commitment to championing emerging talent. Between that and a sold out Glastonbury, it's been a busy few days! Congratulations Emily!! 💙 https://ivorsacademy.com/news/the-ivors-academy-honours-2026-announced/

05/10/2026

Congratulations to Emily Eavis (OW 1997) who has been honoured by The Ivors Academy! She was recognised for her impact on music and culture, and her commitment to championing emerging talent. 💙

https://ivorsacademy.com/news/the-ivors-academy-honours-2026-announced/

05/10/2026

Congratulations to Ambrose Chiu (OW 2021), who has been accepted into the National Opera Studio as one of their 2026/27 Academy Singers! 👏

Hong Kong-born tenor Ambrose Chiu, of Chinese and Indonesian heritage, recently completed his Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where he studied under John Evans as a scholarship recipient. During his studies, he was a finalist for the Guildhall Schubert Institute Prize and the Charter Surveyor Vocal Prize. Previously trained at Wells Cathedral School, Ambrose relocated to the UK in 2018.
Recent concert highlights include Bach’s St John Passion and Cantata BWV 147, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Fauré’s Requiem, Mozart’s Spatzenmesse, and Bruckner’s Mass in F minor and Te Deum, performed as a soloist at venues including the Royal Albert Hall and St John’s Smith Square. He is currently a Tenor Choral Scholar at St Pancras Church, and has previously held positions as a Choral Scholar at St Mary Newington under Edwin Hiller and a Tenor Scholar with the Christopher Wood Choral Foundation under David Guest. He is also a selected singer of the Josephine Baker Trust.
Recent operatic highlights include Candide and Vanley in Windrush Migrations (Pegasus Opera Company), Piangi in The Phantom of the Opera (Guildhall School), and Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus. He has also performed multiple roles throughout The Old Maid and the Thief, Die Zauberflöte, La fille du régiment, and Don Pasquale, alongside chorus work in Respighi’s Maria Egiziaca and La bella dormente nel bosco.
Most recently, Ambrose performed as Tenor 1 in the Quintet Chorus in L’elisir d’amore (Waterperry Opera Festival/Charles Court Opera). Upcoming engagements include Joebel in David and Jonathan.