We were in the Reading Room on the first floor of the imposing Harris Library & Museum in Preston on Saturday 18 April 2026 for our voices workshop with Rory Wainwright Johnston. There were 26 singers, and after a helpful warmup, we started with Guerrero’s 5 part motet Ave Virgo sanctissima, which proved an inspiration for so many composers of the late 16th century. We then went through the 7 part Missa Ave Virgo Sanctissima by Géry de Ghersem (1573-1630), which was challenging but well worth the effort. In between movements, we also covered Carlos Patiño’s Peccantem me quotidie, and Domine quando veneris by Mateo Romero/Carlos Patiño. At the end of the day, we sang this last piece scrambled standing around the first floor atrium where the Foucault’s Pendulum swings. Rory was engaging, enthusiastic and erudite throughout – many thanks to him for coming over from Berlin to lead this workshop.
Thanks to everyone who came along and made the day so enjoyable, and particular thanks to Rosy and Colleen for bringing some delicious home-baking. Thanks also to the organiser of the day, Phil Parkinson, who, as a Trustee of the Harris, arranged for us to have the use of the Reading Room for the day. If you are ever in Preston, the Harris is well worth visiting.
A full review of the workshop will follow shortly.
More information about the day
The main piece of the day will be the seven-part Missa Ave Virgo Sanctissima by Géry de Ghersem (1573-1630). Ghersem was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance, active both in Spain at the court of Philip II and Philip III, and in his native Low Countries. He was a prolific and highly regarded composer at the time, but only this mass setting survives intact, the rest of it having been tragically destroyed in the Lisbon earthquake and fire of 1755. Rory will also take us through some music by lesser known composers from the region.
The music we’ll be covering on the day is set out below, with links to PDFs of the scores:
Kyrie; Missa Ave virgo sanctissima – Gery de Gheresem
Gloria; Missa Ave virgo sanctissima – Gery de Gheresem
Sanctus; Missa Ave virgo sanctissima – Gery de Gheresem
Agnus Dei; Missa Ave virgo sanctissima – Gery de Gheresem
Ave virgo sanctissima – Francisco Guerrero
Peccantem me quotidie – Carlos Patiño
Domine quando veneris – Mateo Romero/Carlos Patiño
Alabada sea la Purísima Concepción – Juan Bautista Comes
The Tutor
Rory Wainwright Johnston is a conductor and composer from Bradford-on-Avon. His musical education was initially fostered at Bath Abbey as head chorister and then tenor under the direction of Dr. Peter King. He read Music at the University of Manchester, graduating in 2016 with a first-class honours degree, specialising in conducting and composition, and continued with a Masters in Composition, graduating with Distinction in 2018. From 2020 to 2022, Rory studied for a Masters in Conducting with Justin Doyle at the Hochschule für Musik ‘Hanns Eisler’ in Berlin.
Rory currently works as the assistant conductor of the Groot Omroepkoor (Netherlands Radio Choir). He has developed a strong professional relationship with RIAS Kammerchor, working as a deputy and assistant conductor for Justin Doyle, including on their New Years Concerts in the Berlin Philharmonie and their subsequent recordings of works like Handel’s Judas Maccabeus and Bach’s Magnificat in Eb. Before moving to Berlin, he directed several choirs across northwest England and was an Associate Conductor with the Hallé’s Choral Team.
Rory is in demand as a workshop leader with Early Music fora across the UK. In July 2019, he ran the Choral Workshop for the York Early Music Festival. He began a new relationship with Lacock Courses in 2022, directing their Edinburgh Early Music Summer School, and has continued with courses in France and the UK. As a composer, his music has been performed and broadcast by a variety of ensembles including RIAS Kammerchor and ORA Singers. Rory is also passionate about composition education, leading the ‘Young Composers Apprentice Scheme’ run by ORA Singers across the UK, which focuses on providing students with lessons and feedback about choral music, its history, and how to write it.
For more information please visit: www.rorywainwrightjohnston.com
