Musical Director

Andrew Dean, our Conductor and Musical Director for some eight and a half years retired in April 2011. His replacement, Marco Fanti, has unfortunetely not yet been able to join us because of illness. We are hopeful that Marco will be able to take up the position in September 2012.

Our Accompanist and Deputy Musical Director, James Pelham, stepped into the breach and conducted a brilliant programme of Faure and Durufle in November 2011.

We are delighted to welcome Simon Mercer as our Guest Conductor for the Special Anniversary concert in March and March and Jubilee concert in June. Simon has worked with us before, conducting memorable performances of the Haydn Creation and Mendelssohn Elijah. It is a pleasure and a privilege to welcome him back for this exciting six month period.

James Pelham

After graduating in modern languages, James returned to music for his career. His love of piano-playing led him into vocal accompaniment, which natually led into choral accompaniment, as well as conducting. He equally enjoys working with large groups and smaller ensembles, as well as solo work.

As a vocal accompanist, he frequently works with soprano Angela Rowley ARCM, including residential singing weekends in various locations.

He also has a successful teaching practice, in which he enjoys teaching both adults and children. He holds two professional music diplomas, in piano performance and music theory. James is also MD for a Buddhist choir, which has performed all over the North of England. He is a fan of all musical periods and styles, but has a particular penchant for the Romantic Era, his favourite composers include Grieg, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Chopin and Beethoven.

Very happy with his current career and activities he believes that music is for all, and that the most important aspects are communicating genuine emotion, and having fun!

Simon Mercer

Simon was brought up on the South Coast where he studied the organ with Alan Thurlow at Chichester Cathedral and the trumpet with Crispian Steele-Perkins. He read for the Degree of BMus(Hons) at the University of Sheffield continuing his organ studies with Graham Matthews at Sheffield Cathedral. It was at this time that Simon developed an interest in conducting and regularly directed a number of the University Ensembles and choirs.

He then spent a Postgraduate year at the RNCM studying the organ with Eric Chadwick, Ronald Frost and Gillian Weir and the harpsichord with David Francis before returning to Sheffield to research The Victorian Organ and its repertoire. Simon has held a number of important musical and teaching posts in the area. He was Assistant Organist to Michael English at St. George's Church Stockport and Assistant Musical Director of St. George's Singers Poynton and repetiteur with Stockport Festival Chorus working closely with Raymond Lomax. He has also directed the King Edward Musical Society of Macclesfield and Marple Choral Society.

Simon is also well known and respected as a teacher having been Assistant Director of Music at Cheadle Hulme School; Director of Music at St. Ambrose College and Music coordinator at Cheadle and Marple 6th Form College. He is also Head of Academic Studies and Organ Tutor at the Junior Department of the Royal Northern College of Music and is an Examiner for The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

Simon took up the prestigious post of Director of Music at the King’s School in Macclesfield in September of 2009 and is finding much to challenge and enjoy. He has given Organ Recitals in the cathedrals in Arundel, Chichester, Dunkeld, Sheffield and Vienna. Simon and his wife Kate, also a Sheffield music graduate, live in Whaley Bridge with a variety of dogs and cats.