St Albans Cathedral was delighted to welcome Dewi Rees back this week, as he was formally admitted as Assistant Director of Music and Partnerships during a special service of Choral Evensong on Sunday 4 May.

The Dean, The Precentor, and the Director of Music welcome Dewi and his parents back to St Albans Cathedral

A former organ scholar of the Cathedral, Dewi returns after holding prestigious positions at Westminster Abbey and Bath Abbey, where he served as Assistant Director of Music. His new post at St Albans combines a senior musical leadership role with a pioneering focus on outreach—aiming to widen access to organ and choral music across the diocese.

The Very Reverend Jo Kelly-Moore, Dean of St Albans, welcomed the appointment, saying:

"It is a joy to welcome Dewi back to St Albans Cathedral. He is a truly superb organist, choral conductor and trainer and we look forward to all that he will bring to our Cathedral music. Dewi’s role is also to lead us in a new direction of music outreach, including organ and choral music. We look forward to sharing the Cathedral’s gift of excellence in music education with young people across our diocese in new ways in the years to come."

As Assistant Director of Music and Partnerships, Dewi will support the day-to-day running of the Cathedral’s music programme and lead new initiatives to bring the joy of sacred music to a wider audience.

Speaking after the service, Dewi Rees said:

“I am very happy to be back at St Albans Cathedral and to have many wonderful new colleagues. I am grateful for the extremely warm welcome I have received, and I look forward to working closely with Will Fox, Conor McGlone, and the whole Cathedral team.”

Dewi Rees, back at the organ of St Albans Cathedral

William Fox, Director of Music, added:

“We are all delighted to have welcomed Dewi at the start of this term. I am so looking forward to working with him, as, together, we make music in this wonderful place.”

Dewi’s return signals a renewed emphasis on music as mission—reaching beyond the Cathedral walls and into the life of the diocese. His blend of performance expertise and educational vision makes him uniquely placed to help shape the future of church music in St Albans and beyond.