Saturday 14th January – An illustrated talk on organ & choral music by women composers past and present, by Katherine Dienes-Williams in Brentwood RC Cathedral

(Text taken from Essex Organists’ Association for Organists and Organ Enthusiasts … with permission)

Your President and Committee were very pleased to be able to welcome Katherine DienesWilliams to Essex to give an illustrated talk on the organ and choral music of women composers, using recordings and the wonderful organ of St Mary & St Helen’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, Brentwood.

Originally from New Zealand, Katherine Dienes-Williams was the first women to be appointed to the role of Organist & Master of the Music (or equivalent senior post) at an English cathedral, when she took up this post at Guildford Cathedral in January 2008, following six years as Director of Music at St Mary’s Church, Warwick. She was, therefore, the first ever women to be elected to the Cathedral Organists’ Association.

Prior to her appointment at Warwick, and from when she came to England in 1991, she was Organ Scholar at Winchester Cathedral & Assistant Organist at Winchester College, and Organist and Assistant Director of Music at both Liverpool Metropolitan and Norwich Cathedrals. Katherine is passionate about promoting the music of women composers.