Musical Director Stephen Hope

Stephen Hope was educated at Canterbury Cathedral Choir School and the King's School Canterbury before continuing his training as an organ scholar at Bristol University, specialising in keyboard performance and conducting.

He has worked extensively as both pianist and conductor with a number of societies and orchestras. Stephen maintains a parallel career as organist in his post as Director of Music at St. John's Belmont and the South London Liberal Synagogue, as well as being on the music staff of Laine Theatre Arts. He has directed many of the leading operatic societies in the South of England.

Stephen has toured both in the UK and abroad. In 2003 Stephen created the Sussex Festival Choir, and in 2004 the newly formed Essex Festival Choir gave its inaugural concert in Chelmsford Cathedral. Each year these festival concerts have raised money for the hospice movement.

In 2011 Stephen Hope conducted Bach's Mass in B minor in Arundel Cathedral and in summer 2012 Elgar's The Apostles will be performed, with members of Northwood Choral Society taking part.

Accompanist David Smith

David Smith completed a Postgraduate Diploma in piano accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied with Michael Dussek and Vanessa Latarche. After graduating with distinction he was awarded the Shinn Junior Fellowship.

His many competition successes include reaching the final of the Birmingham Accompanist of the Year, the Vivian Langrish Accompanist Prize, the Christian Carpenter Prize and the Michael Head and Bliss Prizes.

He is in great demand as a partner of many young leading singers and instrumentalists, and has performed in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, St John's Smith Square and the Bath Pump Rooms.

His versatility has led him to work as an orchestral pianist with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, a répétiteur with Holland Park Opera and rehearsal pianist with the BBC Symphony Chorus and London Oriana Choir.

Committee members and patrons