J S Bach Christmas Oratorio

Stephen Davies Conductor

Stephen Davies, a former chorister of St Paul’s Cathedral, London, and Music Scholar of Queen’s College, Oxford, was awarded a scholarship by the Austrian Institute to study with the great organist and composer Anton Heiller at the Academy of Music in Vienna. He has since been active both in the field of music education – particularly at St Olave’s School, Orpington, where he was Director of Music for seventeen years – and as an organ recitalist. In this capacity he has given concerts in major venues throughout Europe, in New York and in New Zealand. In 2017 he gave concerts in Estonia, Germany, and Norway, and last year he performed in King’s College and Trinity College, Cambridge. He founded the Sine Nomine Singers in 1994 and conducted this chamber choir for almost 20 years, giving concerts in local venues as well as in Estonia, France and Germany. He was Director of Music here at St George’s from 2002 to 2016.

From the programme of 15 October 2022.

Graham Neal Soloist

Born in 1980, Graham Neal was educated at St. Olave’s School, Orpington. He studied music at the University of Surrey where he was awarded the Robert Naylor prize for the most meritorious degree recital. Graham went on to study on the Knack opera course at the English National Opera. He is currently studying with John Wakefield at Trinity College of Music. Solo concert engagements in 2005 include Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Christmas Oratorio and Cantata BWV 76, Handel’s Messiah, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise, Draghi’s Ode to St. Cecilia and Haydn’s Creation in venues throughout the country including St John’s Smith Square, Bath Abbey, the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban and Sheffield University. Graham recently made his solo operatic debut, creating the role of Agitator in Tunde Jegede’s Cry of Innocence at Greenwich Theatre. Future plans include a spring recital in the TCM Schumann Festival, singing duets with the celebrated baritone Richard Jackson.

Harriet Webb Mezzo-soprano

Harriet Webb read music at Manchester University where she studied violin with Ronald Birks of the Lindsay Quartet and singing with Diane Matthews at the Royal Northern College of Music. She currently studies with Sarah Dunstan. She has sung and made numerous recordings with several of the top London chamber choirs and groups such as the BBC Singers, Polyphony and the King’s Consort and her own five voice group Amici. Solo work has included performances of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, St John Passion, Christmas Oratorio and Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah, Israel in Egypt and Dixit Dominus, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody, Elgar’s The Music Makers, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Requiem, Duruflé’s Requiem, Bruckner’s Requiem, Liszt’s Via Crucis, Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit and Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and Christ’s Nativity. Harriet has also participated in a masterclass on English song with Ian Partridge. Harriet is Director of Music at Newstead Wood School for Girls.

Richard Wigmore Soloist

After reading languages at Cambridge, Richard Wigmore studied singing at the Guildhall School of Music, where he won several prizes. He has performed widely as an oratorio soloist and recitalist in Britain and abroad, and has broadcast frequently for the BBC. He has sung regularly in Italy and made a number of recordings for Italian radio and television. His operatic experiences include two seasons with Glyndebourne, roles with Kent Opera, the Handel Opera Society and the English Bach Festival, and the British premieres of Elizabeth Lutyens’ Isis and Osiris and Musorgsky’s The Marriage, both broadcast by the BBC. His CD recordings include Rameau’s La princesse de Navarre, Bach’s Coffee Cantata and Handel’s Joshua.