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The Damon Singers in Chesham welcomed its new musical director, Will Dawes, in the autumn of 2006.
The appointment of this gifted and experienced, dynamic young musician had been eagerly awaited by choir members and, when it came, marked the beginning of exciting seasons of music for Chesham as well.
Will Dawes received his initial musical training as a chorister at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Following a music scholarship to Wellington College, he became a choral scholar at St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh. Whilst at University of Edinburgh, he was a member of all the major musical orchestras and choirs and was Leader and Assistant Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra. On graduating, he was awarded the Keasbey Prize for outstanding service to the musical life of the University and the City of Edinburgh.
More recently, he graduated from the Royal Academy of Music where he was awarded the Thomas Armstrong Prize for Choral Direction.
From 2004 to 2006, Will was the first Lascelles Scholar to the Amersham and Chesham Bois Choral Society, assisting in rehearsals and conducting part of the concerts. He is the current Musical Director of the Henley Choral Society, Conductor of the Cappella Singers of Upminster, Chorusmaster for Opera UK, the Director of the newly formed chamber choir, Capricorn, as well as being our new Musical Director.
In May 2006, Will conducted the Choir of London in their tour of Israel and Palestine, conducting concerts with several local choirs in the Galilee, Ramallah and also at St Anne’s Church, Jerusalem. He stepped in at very short notice to conduct the 50th anniversary concerts of the Jerusalem Chorus when their Palestinian Conductor was turned back from an Israeli checkpoint.
Outside of the London area, he is the director of Edinburgh Camerata with which he has conducted works ranging from Penderecki Stabat Mater to Parry Songs of Farewell, as well as Rachmaninov All Night Vigil and the Martin Mass for double choir. He recently made his debut with the RAM Chamber Choir, the Rodolfus Choir and the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain.
As a singer, Will made his debut with the Dunedin Consort in 2002 and with the Oxford Camerata in 2006 and has appeared as a soloist with the Scottish Chamber Choir, Edinburgh Symphony Baroque and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. In London, he can often be seen singing with the Choirs of St Peter’s, Eaton Square, and the Choir of London. Recent solo highlights include Adams The Wound Dresser, Barber Dover Beach, Orff Carmina Burana and Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols.
Will said he was thrilled at having been appointed Musical Director of the Damon Singers. On Sunday, 17th December, 2006, at the White Hill Centre, we performed under his baton for the first time, an exciting mix of Christmas music, including great pieces that the choir had not sung before, as well as old favourites and traditional carols for the audience to sing along to. He hoped that anyone who wanted to be involved would come along and either sing with us or support us.
The Damon Singers' 2006/2007 season promised a number of concerts, including a Spring Concert in March in conjunction with talented young local instrumentalists, in aid of Chesham Museum, as well as the Damon's own summer fun concert in July. In 2007, this was a very special event to celebrate the choir's 50th jubilee!
Another concert envisaged for the autumn of 2007 took place on 3rd November, at St Michael and All Angels in Amersham, where we sang Faure's Requiem among other favourites to celebrate the completion of the refurbishment of the church.
A year passed and we were again inviting people to come to our Christmas Concert (Sunday, 16th December 2007, 8 pm at the White Hill Centre, Chesham).
Our last concert under Will's baton took place at St. Mary's Church, Chesham, on Saturday, 15th March 2008.