There’s an expectation that, when you are a relatively young musician, your concert biography should be filled with words like ‘exciting, ‘dedicated’, ‘committed’, and their ilk. The result of this is that pretty much everyone who’s been through conservatoire training sounds like they’re the single most world-changing thing since the egg-slicer (invented by the gloriously-named Willy Abel, since you asked). In such a hyperbolic linguistic climate, it’s hard to express how pleased I am to be coming to Hampstead in the New Year – but I trust that you will take my word for it…
I’m Scottish, though it’s hard to tell from my accent – which is an odd mixture of influences from my speech therapist/Church of Scotland minister father, and from ten years at boarding school. I spent two years at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester before going up to King’s College, Cambridge, as a choral scholar. After university, I taught classroom music for a year before moving to London, where I studied as a postgraduate at Trinity College of Music (singing and piano) and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where I also conducted various groups, and founded the vocal octet Cries of London. I worked for five or six years as a solo and ensemble singer before concentrating on conducting (principally choral music and opera, including a stint at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen, and more recently work for Covent Garden, which continues next year), keyboard-playing (organ and piano) and composition (some of which is published by Stainer & Bell, Novello, and Shorter House).
In London, I’m currently Organist at Holy Trinity, Sloane Street, and Musical Director of Orlando Chamber Choir. I spend normally two days a week in Durham, where I am a candidate for the PhD in Composition, and teach undergraduate conducting and compositional techniques. I’m also Director of Music in Chapel at St John’s College, where the sixteen choral scholars sing weekly Evensong on a Wednesday. I perform regularly as a solo and collaborative pianist – recitals this season include Wigmore Hall, amongst others – and was a finalist in this year’s St Alban’s International Organ Improvisation Competition. I coach singers for most of the UK opera houses and many of the period performance ensembles, and am a regular visitor to Pro Corda educational courses, where I teach musicianship and choral singing.
From January, I am particularly looking forward to working with Jeremy, the choir, and with David, in the building up of musical links between the church and the wider community; equally, the concerts with professional instrumentalists that my long-standing friend and colleague James has led so brilliantly for the last few years will continue: please watch this space for announcements. I am looking forward immensely to meeting you, making music with you, and worshipping with you, and am always available to be asked things/told things/given suggestions via email: [email protected]
Peter Foggitt