London: St Cecilia Day service to honour Catholic singer

Gervase Elwes

The Musicians Benevolent Fund will be celebrating its annual Festival of Saint Cecilia on 23 November 2011 at Westminster Cathedral and Banqueting House. Held since 1946 as a tribute to The Patron Saint of Music, this event continues a tradition in bringing together over 1000 people to celebrate music and musicians, making it the Fund’s biggest event of the year.

This year’s Festival is a celebration of the Musicians Benevolent Fund’s 90th birthday, and commemorates the anniversary of the death of eminent tenor Gervase Elwes [1866 – 1921], in whose memory the Fund was established. Elwes’ (pictured right) parents decided to become Roman Catholics in France in 1874. Gervase also embraced his parents’ commitment and brought up his six children in the faith. His fourth son, Valentine, became a priest.

The Festival begins with a service at 11am and will be followed by a reception and lunch, where the guest speaker will be Fund President and Master of the Queen’s Music Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. The lunch will also feature a performance by Fund Award recipients VOCES8.

Admission to the service is by ticket only. Please call the Musicians Benevolent Fund. on 020 7239 9114.

Source: MBF