Composers
We publish musical works by the following composers and leading church musicians:
Robert Ashfield
(1911-2006) was educated at Tonbridge School and the Royal College of Music. He was Assistant at Westminster Abbey in the 1930's. After five years in the Army, he was appointed Organist of Southwell Minster from 1946-56 and Rochester Cathedral from 1956-77.
Photograph © Anna Baker
Peter Barley
was born in 1969. He took a music degree at Cambridge where he was an organ scholar at King's College, accompanying the renowned choir in many concerts, broadcasts and recordings. He then studied at the Royal Academy of Music, concurrently obtaining his M.Mus. with distinction from London University. He was Organist and Director of Music at St Marylebone Church, London, from 1991-2001. He combined this with the role of Director of the Edington Festival of Music within the Liturgy. He has been Organist and Master of the Choristers at the National Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Patrick, Dublin, since January 2002.
Kerry Beaumont
holds a B.Mus. from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelpha and an M.A. from Durham University. During the Associate and Fellowship examinations of the Royal College of Music he was awarded seven prizes for his playing. After an appointment as Organist and Master of the Choristers at St David.s Cathedral, Wales, he was Organist and Master of the Choristers / Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral from 1994-2002. He became Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral in 2006.
Photograph © Eaden Lilley Photography
Jonathan Bielby
was born in Oxford and while at Magdalen College School studied under Bernard Rose at Magdalen College. From 1963-7 he assisted George Guest as organ scholar at St John's College, Cambridge, where he read music. He has held appointments as Assistant Organist at Manchester Cathedral and Borough Organist at Huddersfield Town Hall. Since 1970 he has been Organist and Master of the Choristers at Wakefield Cathedral. He also teaches at Leeds College of Music.
Stephen Cleobury
is associated with two of Britain's outstanding choirs, as Director of Music at King's College, Cambridge, and Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers. He is much in demand as a conductor and an organ recitalist. He teaches at King’s College and at the Royal College of Music, where he is a Fellow and Visiting Professor. He has served as President of the Royal College of Organists, and on the Council of the Royal School of Church Music.
Photograph © Richard A. Pink
David Creese
was born in 1972 in Ontario, Canada, where he studied piano and theory and subsequently studied guitar, before reading Classics and French at the University of King's College in Halifax, Canada. Upon graduation he undertook an M.A. in Classics at Dalhousie University, Halifax. In 1997, he moved to the United Kingdom to begin a Ph.D. in Ancient Greek Musical Theory at the University of Birmingham. He was also a choral scholar at Birmingham Cathedral. He is currently involved in research of Greek and Roman music, especially Greek harmonic theory, at the University of British Columbia in Canada.
Barry Ferguson
was born in 1942 and studied at Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he was an organ scholar. After an appointment as Assistant at Peterborough Cathedral, he became Organist at Wimbourne Minster and Rochester Cathedral. He is now a freelance composer, lecturer and recitalist. He lectures on "Thomas Hardy and Music" for the University of Bristol and on other musical subjects.
Christopher Gower
succeeded Dudley Moore as Organ Scholar of Magdalen College, Oxford, studying there with Bernard Rose and Egon Wellesz. In 1961 he was appointed Assistand Organist of Exeter Cathedral and Director of Music at the Cathedral School. His next cathedral appointment was to Portsmouth in 1969 as Organist and Master of the Choristers moving to Peterborough Cathedral as Master of the Music in 1977. He retired from that post in 2004. His retirement from cathedral music has given him more time to develop his work as a composer. He also continues to examine for the Associated Board in the UK and abroad; is a visiting lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University and serves as a magistrate on the Peterborough bench.
Louis Halsey
worked, for many years, as a Music Producer for BBC Radio in London, and his name became widely known after he founded two choirs, the Elizabethan Singers and the Louis Halsey Singers. From 1982-1985 he was Professor of Music and Head of the Choral Department at the University of Illinois, USA. He is now Director of Music at Regent's College, London, and is active as a freelance lecturer, conductor, adjudicator, composer and arranger.
Photograph © Stewart Bonney (News) Agency
Roger Hemingway
was born in 1951. He was head chorister at Ripon Cathedral and won a music scholarship to Uppingham School. He studied composition with Herbert Howells for three years at the Royal College of Music, before going to Worcester in 1973 to teach. There he sang in Worcester Cathedral Choir. He has written several pieces for the King's Singers; and his "Five Songs" were performed at the 250th Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester.
Timothy Hone
was born in 1957. A former organ scholar of Peterhouse, Cambridge, he has held appointments as Sub-Organist at Leeds Parish Church and a similar position at Coventry Cathedral. He became Organist and Master of the Music at Newcastle Cathedral in 1987. In 1995, he was the first English player to take part in the distinguished recital series in Hamborn, Germany, and in 1996 he gave the RCO recital in Glasgow. He moved to Salisbury Cathedral in July 2002 as Head of Liturgy and Music, a strategic administrative role, which he combines with extramural activity as organ soloist and accompanist.
Photograph © Kevin Low
Bryan Kelly
was born in Oxford in 1934. He studied at the Royal College of Music, London, with Gordon Jacob and Herbert Howells, and later in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. After some years on the staff of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, he was appointed to a post at the Royal College of Music in 1963, and where he taught harmony, counterpoint and orchestration for 22 years. One year he spent in Washington DC, USA, teaching at the American University. He writes both serious and light music. He is an accomplished pianist and conductor.
Philip Lawson
read music at York University. After a period of freelance singing with choirs including The Sixteen and The BBC Singers, he moved to Salisbury where he was Director of Music at a local school and a baritone Lay Clerk in the choir of Salisbury Cathedral. He also arranged music and played piano for a local jazz band. Since 1993 he has sung first baritone for The King’s Singers, as well as being the group’s principal arranger. For more information, see his website at www.philiplawson.net.
Sir Philip Ledger
was born in 1937 and educated at King's College, Cambridge. When appointed Master of the Music at Chelmsford Cathedral, he became the youngest cathedral organist in the country. Subsequently, he took up the post of Director of Music at the University of East Anglia where he was also Dean of the School of Fine Arts and Music. He was Director of Music at King’s College, Cambridge, from 1974-82 and he became Principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1982.
Raymond Lewis
has followed a triple career as pianist, conductor and organist. As organist he has played at the major cathedrals in the UK and also in Germany. He made his London debuts variously as solo pianist, accompanist, in chamber music, as continuo player, and as conductor on the South Bank. In 1988 he formed The Medici Chamber Choir, which has sung services and given concerts at most of the major English cathedrals. The choir's companion group, The Medici Baroque Players, was formed in 1991.
Simon Lindley
is Organist and Master of the Music at Leeds Parish Church and directs its famous choir, for whose members he has produced regularly compositions and arrangements over nearly thirty years. This output includes a number of evocative settings of traditional carol melodies. His early experience was in London and as Peter Hurford's first full-time assistant at St Albans; during this period he was also Director of Music to St Albans School.
Richard Lloyd
was born near Manchester. He became a chorister in Lichfield and has been involved in church music in one way or another ever since. He was a music scholar at Rugby and organ scholar at Jesus College, Cambridge. After National Service, he spent some years as Sub-Organist at Salisbury Cathedral. He was Organist at Hereford and then at Durham before returning to Salisbury to teach in the Cathedral School. This was curtailed by illness so he now spends much of his time writing church music.
Simon Lole
read music at King's College, University of London. After furthering his organ and keyboard studies at the Guildhall School of Music, he went to St Paul’s as organ scholar. In 1985 he became the first full-time Director of Music at St Mary’s Collegiate Church, Warwick. He was appointed Master of the Music at Sheffield Cathedral in 1994 and then Director of Music and Master of the Choristers at Salisbury Cathedral from 1997-2005.
Andrew Lumsden
was born in 1962 and educated at Winchester College and The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama before going up to St John's College, Cambridge as organ scholar. After three years as Assistant Organist at Southwark Cathedral, he was appointed Sub-Organist at Westminster Abbey. In 1992 he became Organist and Master of the Choristers at Lichfield Cathedral. He took up his current position as Organist and Director of Music at Winchester Cathedral in 2002, a post he combines with regular recital work at home and abroad.
Richard Marlow
was organ scholar and later a research fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge. He studied with Thurston Dart. After teaching at Southampton University, he returned to Cambridge in 1968, succeeding Raymond Leppard as Fellow and Director of Music at Trinity College and taking up a lectureship in the University Music Faculty. Dr Marlow has been Visiting Professor at universities in Tokyo, Texas, New England and New Zealand.
Douglas Mason
was born in Cheltenham in 1973. He read music at Durham University and was a member of the University's Chamber Choir and Schola Cantorum. After graduating, he continued his studies at Leeds University, where he trained as a teacher. During his time in Leeds he was also a lay clerk in the choir of Leeds Parish Church. Since 1995 he has worked as a full time academic music teacher at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. He also sings with the William Byrd Singers.
Andrew Millington
was born in 1952 and studied the organ at Worcester Cathedral under Harry Bramma and Christopher Robinson. From the King's School Worcester he gained an organ scholarship to Downing College, Cambridge, and in 1975 he became Assistant Organist at Gloucester Cathedral. After being appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers at Guildford Cathedral in 1983, he took up the post of Director of Music at Exeter Cathedral in 1999.
Simon Mold
was born in Derbyshire. After a period as a cathedral chorister he became a choral scholar at Durham Cathedral while at Durham University, and has subsequently sung in several cathedral choirs. He has written the liner notes for CD recordings, and contributed articles and reviews to many periodicals. He currently teaches in Kent.
Photograph © Gerald Place
Philip Moore
was born in 1943. He received his musical education at the Royal College of Music, where he studied organ, composition and conducting. In 1965 he was appointed to the music staff at Eton and in 1968 he became Assistant Organist at Canterbury Cathedral. He became Organist and Master of the Choristers at Guildford Cathedral in 1974 and at York Minster from 1983-2008. He has a B.Mus. degree from Durham University and he holds the diplomas of the Royal College of Organists. He is active as a recitalist, and conductor of the York Musical Society.
Martin Neary
was born in 1940 and is half French. From 1972-87 he was Organist and Master of Music at Winchester Cathedral. As Organist and Master of the Chorister at Westminster Abbey from 1988-98, he was responsible for music at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. He continues his career as an organist, and was the first conductor of the Royal School of Church Music's Millennium Youth Choir. He has also served two terms as President of the Royal College of Organists.
June Nixon
is one of Australia's best-known organists, choir trainers and composers. She initially studied at Melbourne University before gaining post graduate scholarships that enabled further study in London. She was appointed Organist and Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne in 1973. She was made a Member (AM) in the General Division in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 1998 for services to church music. In 1999 she became the first woman to have the Lambeth D.Mus. conferred by The Archbishop of Canterbury.
Timothy Noon
was born in 1974 and received his early musical education as a chorister at Hereford Cathedral. Following organ scholarships at Canterbury Cathedral and Christ Church, Oxford, he was appointed Sub-Organist of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. He returned to Canterbury as Assistant Organist in 1997, where, in addition to his work at the Cathedral, he was organist of the King's School. In 2001 he became Organist and Master of the Choristers at St Davids Cathedral, Pembrokeshire, Principal Conductor of the Dyfed Choir, and Artistic Director of the St Davids Cathedral Festival. He is currently Director of Music at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool.
Neil Porter-Thaw
was born in 1970. He was a chorister at St. Georges, Windsor under the direction of Christopher Robinson and his father, John Porter. After 5 years as a scholar at Malvern College, Neil studied strings and choral music at Trinity College of Music, London. Neil is currently Director of Music at The King's School, Ely, Cambridgeshire and very much involved with the music in Ely Cathedral.
Arnold Pugh
was born in Canada in 1935. He received no professional music training until arriving in England in 1951. After completing a six-year apprenticeship in the printing trade, he changed direction at the age of 28 to study music. He was appointed Organist/Choirmaster of Rugby Parish Church in 1966 having previously served in a similar post at Dunchurch and Brownsoever.
Philip Radcliffe
(1905-86) was educated at Charterhouse and later studied under Dent and Moule at King's College, Cambridge. During his distinguished career, which encompassed teaching, writing on music, and composing, he was a Fellow of King’s College from 1931-37. Later, from 1947-72, he was a lecturer in music at Cambridge University and became a Fellow again from 1948.
Alan Ridout
(1934-96) began learning the piano at the age of nine. By the time he was 12, he had composed 100 works. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal College of Music under Gordon Jacob and Herbert Howells, and afterwards also with Peter Racine Fricker, Sir Michael Tippett and Henk Badings. His entire life was devoted to composition and to the teaching and encouragement of other musicians.
Timothy Rogers
was born in 1961. He won a major music scholarship to St Edward's, Oxford, before reading music at University College, Cardiff. After graduating, he followed a career in publishing initially at Banks Music Publications in York, then at Novello & Co Ltd / Music Sales Ltd, and later working for the Royal School of Church Music. In 1987, he became the youngest composer in the best-selling "Carols for Choirs" series published by Oxford University Press. In 1992, he set up Encore Publications as his own publishing company and now works as its Managing Editor.
John Sanders
(1933-2002) received his musical education at the Royal College of Music and at Cambridge University as organ scholar at Gonville and Caius College. From 1967-94 he was Organist and Master of the Choristers at Gloucester Cathedral having previously occupied a similar post at Chester Cathedral. For 29 years he was also Director of Music at Cheltenham Ladies' College retiring from there in 1997. He was awarded various honours for services to music including the Lambeth D.Mus., an honorary Fellowship of the Royal School of Church Music, and an O.B.E. in 1994.
John Scott
was born in Wakefield where he became a Cathedral chorister. He continued his studies at St John's College, Cambridge, where he was Organ Scholar, before being appointed Assistant Organist at London's two Anglican Cathedrals, St Paul's and Southwark. In 1985 he became Sub-Organist of St Paul's and in 1990 Organist and Director of Music. His career as a recitalist has taken him to five continents and his many recordings include works by Elgar, Mendelssohn, Mathias, Duruflé and Dupré. In 2004 he took up the post of Organist and Director of Music at St Thomas Church, New York.
Richard Shephard
is the Director of Development for York Minster having previously been the Head Master of York Minster School and Chamberlain of York Minster. He is a Visiting Fellow of the Music Department and a member of the Court of the University of York. He is also Visiting Professor in the Music Department of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee. He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and after graduating worked in Salisbury in a variety of teaching jobs while remaining a lay-vicar in the cathedral choir.
Peter Skellern
was born in Bury, Lancashire, in 1947 and is a musician, entertainer and composer. He played trombone at school and, by the age of 16, was organist and choirmaster at his local church. After graduating with honours from the Guildhall School of Music, he went on to join a country-pop group called March Hare before disbanding in 1971. As a pianist, he has many musical hits to his name, notably the early 1980's classic You're a Lady. He also wrote and performed six autobiographical programmes for BBC Television, followed by Happy Ending (a series of musical plays), and hosted the Private Lives chat show in 1983. In 1984 he formed Oasis with Julian Lloyd Webber, Mary Hopkin and guitarist Bill Loveday in an attempt to fuse mutual classical and pop interests. He also worked for many years with author and performer Richard Stilgoe in their two-man review Who Plays Wins, which was presented in the West End and New York, as well as on tours together under the title of Rambling On.
Stephen Tanner
was an organ scholar at Bradford Cathedral. His first teaching post was at Copthorne Preparatory School, West Sussex, which he combined with the position of Director of Music at the historic Saxon church of St. Nicholas, Worth. He was appointed Director of Music at Exeter Cathedral School in 1987 and now combines this post with that of Assistant Organist at Exeter Cathedral. He directs the Girl Choristers section of the Cathedral Choir, which he founded in 1994.
Alan Thurlow
read music at Sheffield University before going to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, for a period of research into pre-Reformation English Church music. In 1973 he was appointed Sub-Organist at Durham Cathedral and combined his duties with those of Director of Music at The Chorister School and part-time Lecturer in Music at Durham University. From 1980-2008 he was Organist and Master of the Choristers at Chichester Cathedral. He also served as Chairman of The Friends of Cathedral Music from 1990-2002.
John Turner
was senior scholar in law at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. For many years he pursued a legal career alongside his many musical activities. But he now devotes his time to writing, reviewing, publishing, composing and generally energising, as well as playing the recorder. He has played and broadcast as a recorder soloist with many leading orchestras, including the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Academy of Ancient Music, and the English Chamber Orchestra. His many recordings include no less than five sets of the Brandenburg Concertos.
James Whitbourn
was born in 1963. He was an Academical Clerk at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he read music, before going on to play the organ for services at the Chapel Royal, H. M. Tower of London. He is a Director of Music of the BBC Daily Service Singers. In 1990 he succeeded Barry Rose as series producer of BBC Radio 3's "Choral Evensong". He has composed theme music for several television programmes, most of them performed by the BBC Philharmonic, and has had works performed by the BBC Singers, Westminster Abbey choir and many other cathedral and college choirs.