The Music department is very grateful to have received a legacy from the late Cynthia Hawes, one of the University’s very first employees, who passed away shortly before Christmas in 2020.

Cynthia was Secretary to Vice-Chancellors Geoffrey Templeman and David Ingram, subsequently transferring to the Graduate Studies Office as an Assistant Registrar. An enthusiastic choral singer, Cynthia was a long-time member of University Chorus, regularly singing with Chorus in concerts in Eliot Hall (prior to the opening of the Colyer-Fergusson Building) and Canterbury Cathedral, and also sang with Canterbury Choral Society; Cynthia sang with Chorus up until 2018.

Thanks to her generous legacy, the Music department has founded the Cynthia Hawes Collection, in which her Fund will be used to support the continued activities of Chorus by purchasing vocal scores for the choir to use in its rehearsals and performances.

It’s a lovely gesture from a committed member of Chorus, who was a regular performer with the choir. Thanks to this wonderful legacy, Chorus will be able to build a library of vocal scores for the choir to use, and each time we sing from them, the choir will be performing in her memory; a very special way to commemorate and reflect Cynthia’s long-standing commitment to music here at Kent.

Read more about about Cynthia here.