David Hill, (born on 13 May 1957 in Carlisle, Cumberland) is a choral conductor and

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...

. Beginning July 2013, he holds an appointment to the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. His highest-profile roles are as Chief Conductor of the

BBC Singers The BBC Singers are a British chamber choir, and the professional chamber choir of the BBC. One of the six BBC Performing Groups, the BBC Singers are based at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios in London. The only full-time professional British ...

from September 2007 until 2017, and Musical Director of

The Bach Choir The Bach Choir is a large independent musical organisation founded in London, England in 1876 to give the first performance of J. S. Bach's ''Mass in B minor'' in Britain. The choir has around 240 active members. Directed by David Hill MBE (Yal ...

since April 1998. He also holds the positions Chief Conductor of the Southern Sinfonia, Music Director of the Leeds Philharmonic Society, Associate Conductor of the

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an English orchestra, founded in 1893 and originally based in Bournemouth. With a remit to serve the South and South West of England, the BSO is administratively based in the adjacent town of Poole, s ...

and President of Bath Bach Choir. Hill is President of the Incorporated Association of Organists, succeeding Catherine Ennis. He was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to music. He had a part in Coronation Street in 1970 where he broke into the vestry to play the organ and was befriended by Ena Sharples.

Past career

Hill was educated at

Chetham's School of Music Chetham's School of Music () is an independent co-educational music school in Manchester, England. Chetham's educates students between the ages of 8 and 18, all of whom enter via musical auditions. Students receive a full academic education a ...

and St John's College, Cambridge, where he was Organ Scholar under

George Guest George Guest CBE FRCO (9 February 1924 – 20 November 2002) was a Welsh organist and choral conductor. Birth and early life George Guest was born in Bangor, Gwynedd. His father was an organist and Guest assisted him by acting as organ b ...

. He spent two years from 1980 as Sub-Organist at Durham Cathedral, under Richard Hey Lloyd. He was Master of Music at

Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It is the largest Catholic church in the UK and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. The site on which the cathedral stands in the City o ...

from 1982–1987, then at

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

from 1987-2002, before returning to St John's College, Cambridge as Director of Music from 2003-2007.

References

External links

St John's College, Cambridge Choir homepageBBC announcement of Chief ConductorshipThe Bach Choir homepage
1957 births English classical organists British male organists Cathedral organists English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) Living people Grammy Award winners People from Carlisle, Cumbria People educated at Chetham's School of Music Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Bach musicians 21st-century British conductors (music) Members of the Order of the British Empire 21st-century organists Male classical organists {{organist-stub