Ely Consort can trace its history back to the late 1980s, when the need for a chamber-size choir in Ely was recognised by Aidan Fairlie, then a lay clerk at Ely Cathedral and director of the Ely Choral Society.
Aidan formed St Mary’s Chamber Choir (SMCC) in 1987, and the choir gave a number of concerts during the late eighties and early nineties – the St Mary’s name coming from Ely’s parish church, where the choir often performed. A very few current singers – including the present Chairman, John Simmons, date their involvement back to this time!
Following Aidan’s departure from Ely, SMCC was directed by a series of highly- regarded local musicians, including Graham Griggs (King’s School Ely) and New Zealander, Peter de Blois, during his time as tenor lay clerk at Ely. In 1994, it was decided to formally wind up the old choir and re-launch under a new name. The name ‘Ely Consort’ was the idea of John Simmons and the director designate, David Price.
David was at the time Assistant Organist of Ely Cathedral. The choir’s debut under David’s direction took place on Friday 16th December 1994, in the Cathedral’s presbytery. The programme included Vivaldi’s Gloria, Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols and works by Tavener and Arthur Wills. The choir numbered twenty-seven for the performance.
A number of highly successful concerts followed over the next few years, until David’s departure for Portsmouth Cathedral upon his appointment there to the post of Organist and Master of the Choristers, a post he still holds. David’s successors in the post of Assistant Organist at Ely directed our choir in a number of well- received concerts until 2002 – and the appointment of Matthew Rudd.
At the time Matthew was a music teacher at Perse Girls’ School in Cambridge. Matthew sang with the noted Cambridge Chorale and played trumpet in various local orchestras. Matthew has since become Head of Music at what is now the Stephen Perse Foundation and he has staged an ambitious programme of major concerts and events there – see Matthew’s separate biographical note.
Our first concert under Matthew’s direction took place in St Peter’s Church, Ely, on Saturday 14th December 2002. It included Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit as its major work. Rehearsing regularly under Matthew on Thursdays, mainly at the King’s School’s Recital Hall, the choir has since produced a string of accomplished performances ranging widely in style from Bach to Broadway! We have been pleased to work with a number of talented local musicians as soloists, although sometimes solo parts are taken by members of the choir.
Regular venues beside Ely Cathedral have included Ely Methodist Church, parish churches at Sutton, Burwell, Chippenham, Cottenham and Soham and ventures further afield to Chatteris as well as and Lavenham and Long Melford in Suffolk.
Amongst our recent highlights have been collaborations with Steve Bingham and his Con Brio Chamber Orchestra in performances of selections from Handel’s Messiah.
Ely Consort has also undertaken two joint concerts with Cambridge’s Fairhaven Singers and their director Ralph Woodward, the most recent being the Spring 2026 performance of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem conducted by Ralph at Ely Cathedral.
We have been pleased to commission works by Will Todd and Sarah Quartel. Most recently, the choir commissioned Ben Ponniah to compose a new setting of ‘Sing O Heavn’s’ to accompany the setting of the same words by the seventeenth-century Ely composer John Amner in our 2025 Summer concert ‘Sing a New Song’ held in the
Cathedral’s magnificent Lady Chapel.
The choir endeavours to go on tour every other year and visits have been made over the years to Poland twice (Krakow and Gdansk), the Rhineland, the Loire Valley, Belgium and Tuscany. In May 2026 the choir visited the Czech Republic and performed three highly successful concerts in and around Prague.
Ely Consort now has charitable status and seeks to work to develop understanding, appreciation and participation in choral music in Ely and further afield. The choir enjoys a good social life too and a group usually attends a local pub for post-rehearsal refreshments!
The choir continues to build on its 32 years of successful concert performance – 24 of these under Matthew’s direction – and the 2026-7 season will see us performing in Ely, Chippenham, Bury St Edmunds and Norwich. We are always looking for new venues for concerts – if you have a suitable venue capable of housing a choir of 35-40 plus instrumentalists and would like us to visit then please contact us via the website!
John Simmons, Chair of Trustees (August 2026)