Bath Abbey is delighted to announce that we have appointed a new Assistant Organist, Dewi Rees, who is currently working at Westminster Abbey. Dewi Rees is the Organ Scholar at Westminster Abbey, where he shares the playing for services with the Sub-Organist and Assistant Organist, and assists in the training of the Choristers and the running of the Music Department. In May he will be part of the team preparing and playing for the Coronation of King Charles III.
Director of Music at Bath Abbey, Huw Williams, said “we are very pleased to be welcoming Dewi to our community in the autumn. Dewi will be our principal organist. He already has a distinguished career at Cambridge, St Alban’s and more recently at Westminster Abbey, and we are excited to have him in our team where he will accompany and work regularly with our Abbey choirs for services, concerts, broadcasts and recordings.”
The Abbey has worked closely with Kingswood School on this appointment where Dewi will also take up a role as resident music assistant. The Abbey and Kingswood have shared values and a vision for musical excellence. Headmaster, Andrew Gordon-Brown, said “A number of the Abbey choristers attend Kingswood and it has been pleasure to strengthen our relationship with Bath Abbey in this way. We are thrilled that Dewi will be providing some additional support to promote organ playing and choral music throughout the school.”
Dewi read Music at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he was Organ Scholar and then later Assistant Organist. He moved to St Albans Cathedral in 2020 for two years as Organ Scholar.
Dewi said “I’m looking forward to being part of such a friendly community at Bath Abbey, and working with the Abbey’s many talented musicians.”
In addition to his liturgical playing, Dewi enjoys giving frequent organ recitals in London and further afield, performing as a continuo organist, and working as a repetiteur for choral societies.
Guy Bridgewater, Rector of Bath Abbey said “Beautiful and inspiring music is at the heart of our Bath Abbey community and worshipping life. Dewi will have a crucial role supporting Huw Williams our Director of Music, and leading two of our hugely appreciated choirs, the Melody Makers (children’s choir) and the Abbey Chamber choir – as well as playing regularly for services. We hugely look forward to welcoming him into the Bath Abbey family.”
Andrew Nethsingha, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey said “Dewi makes a wonderful contribution to the musical life of Westminster Abbey. We congratulate him on his new appointment in Bath. It is great that Dewi is moving from one very beautiful Abbey to another!”
There will be an opportunity to hear Dewi at the Abbey on May 16th when he plays the second organ concert in the Abbey’s summer Tuesdays @1pm series. At this concert Dewi will be playing Elgar’s Imperial March (written for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897) and music by Bach, Mendelssohn, Judith Bingham.
Dewi Rees has been appointed Assistant Organist at Bath Abbey
