David Hill
Artistic Director
Renowned for his fine musicianship, David Hill is widely respected as both a choral and orchestral conductor. His talent has been recognised by his appointments as Chief Conductor of The BBC Singers, Musical Director of The Bach Choir, Music Director of Southern Sinfonia, Music Director of Leeds Philharmonic Society and Associate Guest conductor of The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate by the University of Southampton in 2002 for services to music.
Born in Carlisle and educated at Chetham's School of Music, he was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists at the tender age of 17. He took an organ scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge under the direction of Dr George Guest, returning there as Director of Music from 2003-2007.
David's previous posts have included Master of the Music at both Winchester and Westminster Cathedrals as well as Music Director of The Waynflete Singers and Artistic Director of the Philharmonia Chorus. He is in great demand for choral training workshops worldwide and is a choral advisor to music publishers Novello. As an organist he has given recitals in most major venues in the UK and toured extensively abroad.
David has made over 70 recordings and contributed to the film sound tracks of Narnia and Shrek the Third. He is engaged in recordings for Naxos of major English choral composers with The Bach Choir and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. David has also appeared as guest conductor with more than a dozen orchestras in the UK, Europe and the USA. His commitment to new music has led to his conducting first performances of works by Judith Bingham, Carl Rütti, Francis Pott, Patrick Gowers, Jonathan Harvey, Philip Moore and Naji Hakim, Sir John Tavener and Philip Wilby amongst others.
“The Charles Wood Summer School is a week in my diary to which I look forward. It combines marvellous music in worship, concerts and masterclasses alongside the architectural magnificence of Armagh’s two Cathedrals. At the centre of it all lies a man and his music, Charles Wood, whose music continues to inspire Church musicians the world over. Most of all, the week provides an opportunity for singers, congregations and audiences to share the glories of church music. At a time when the world faces so many difficult challenges, music and worship nourishes the soul in a way nothing else can compare.”