Before John Bain retired as Headmaster of the Purcell School he and his wife, Cynthia, often brought groups of their pupils to spend a weekend making music to their home in Whitchurch Canonicorum. Many of these pupils were from various parts of the world and enjoyed a relaxed weekend in the glorious Dorset countryside and beaches nearby as well as giving evenings of music in the village hall and church.

After retirement, and missing the buzz of live music being performed all around them by the young, John and Cynthia were telephoned by a former pupil who was now studying at the Royal Academy of Music and needed to run through her programme for a major competition.  The local audience enjoyed the experience of having such a high standard of performance in their village hall. Word got around many former Purcellians at the colleges that this was a good opportunity to try out performances for future London concerts, exams and competitions.

The Bains were delighted to maintain contact with their former pupils and enjoyed having their home full of music on concert weekends.  Thus the Whitchurch Purcellian concerts were launched.

There have been chamber groups, duos and soloists which, although predominantly former pupils of the Purcell School, have also included their college friends and accompanists. It is still a thrill to have a Wigmore Hall run-through in the village hall or church a week or so before the real thing.

Although Whitchurch is fortunate to have a Bechstein grand piano in the village hall the acoustic quality of the hall is not quite as fine as in the historic church of St Candida and Holy Cross. The Whitchurch PCC has generously acquired for the church a brand new Kawai RX3C grand piano in memory of the late Hazel Thurston, a music-loving benefactor.  The new instrument is an inspiration to the Purcellian pianists.

Candida House, Whitchurch Canonicorum, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 6RQ

www.candida-house.co.uk