Guildhall School announces new scholarship with Professor Christopher Wood and Roderick Williams, ahead of Coronation

Guildhall School of Music & Drama today announces a new scholarship for postgraduate students on the School’s Vocal & Opera Studies programmes. Presented by the Chair of the School’s Campaign Board, Professor Christopher Wood MD FRCSEd FLSW LMRCO, in partnership with alumnus Roderick Williams OBE FGS, the Roderick Williams/Christopher Wood Scholarship will award £15,000 annually to opera & vocal students over the next decade.

The generous gift of over £130,000 will be held in the Guildhall School Trust endowment fund, with the first scholarship to be awarded at the start of the 2023/24 academic year.

Professor Christopher Wood says:

“My chosen profession is medicine but my other passion is music, and especially singing, so the Roderick Williams/Christopher Wood Scholarship is a natural choice. Now, more than ever before, there is an urgent need to support the arts. Our wonderful natural creativity is a defining feature of British culture and it must be encouraged and supported. Guildhall School of Music & Drama is a world leader in the performing arts and has trained many famous artists over the years. More than that, the School is pioneering new ways to support the arts. We have every reason to be optimistic about the future. There is tremendous talent in this country but we need to provide the opportunities for talented individuals to fully realise their potential. This Scholarship will help exceptionally talented young people to achieve their ambitions.” 

Roderick Williams says:

“It is heart-warming to be associated with this scholarship. As a Guildhall graduate, I know that the School offers exceptional training. I know, too, how performing arts training transforms lives, but how challenging the costs are for students in today’s higher education world. To partner with someone as generous as Christopher Wood on this scholarship feels very special. I look forward to following our students’ careers as they develop and wish Guildhall well as it seeks to boost scholarship funds to enable the next generation of artists to benefit from the School as I did.”

Both Roderick and Christopher will also be taking part in celebrations for Coronations of Their Majesties The King Charles III and The Queen Consort on Saturday 6 May.

Guildhall School alumnus Roderick Williams is one of the UK’s most sought-after baritones in opera, concert and recital, encompassing repertoire from the baroque to world premieres. Also a composer, Williams has had works premiered at Wigmore Hall, Barbican and Purcell Room. On 6 May, he will perform alongside fellow Guildhall alumnus Sir Bryn Terfel CBE FGS for the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Williams’ composition, a contemporary response to the hymn Be Thou My Vision, will also receive its premiere at the service.

Consultant surgeon and composer, Christopher Wood is best known for his sacred choral music, particularly The Wood Requiem dedicated to the memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Wood wrote his most recent composition, a new parish anthem God Save the King, to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III. The work has been offered to choirs across the country and is an open invitation for singers everywhere to join in and celebrate this moment of national significance.

Also involved in Saturday’s coronation are Guildhall School alumna Debbie Wiseman OBE FGS  and Honorary Fellow Judith Weir HonFGS, Master of The King’s Music, who have been commissioned to compose for this special occasion.

Photo - Benjamin Ealovega