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The Charles Wood Summer School, which is held annually in Armagh, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, is best introduced using the words of our Artistic Director, the world renowned conductor and organist, David Hill :

The Charles Wood Summer School is a week in my diary to which I look forward. It combines marvellous music in worship, concerts and masterclasses alongside the architectural magnificence of Armagh's two Cathedrals. At the centre of it all lies a man and his music, Charles Wood, whose music continues to inspire Church musicians the world over. Most of all, the week provides an opportunity for singers, congregations and audiences to share the glories of church music. At a time when the world faces so many difficult challenges, music and worship nourishes the soul in a way nothing else can compare.

Charles Wood, the renowned musician and composer, was born at 11 Vicar’s Hill, Armagh in 1866 and received his early musical education as a chorister in the cathedral opposite his home. He later studied at the Royal College of Music and became a Professor there before succeeding Stanford, that other fine Irish musician and composer, as Professor of Music at Cambridge University. When Wood died in 1926 he left behind a legacy of over 250 sacred works plus a large number of hymn tunes. His other compositions include songs, music for Greek plays and chamber music but it is largely for his sacred music that he is remembered today.