Music Staff

Music Staff at St Chad’s

Anthony Pinel – Director of Music

Anthony Pinel was born in Sutton Coldfield and graduated from Huddersfield. After a year as Organ Scholar of Birmingham Cathedral he was appointed Assistant Organist of Bristol Cathedral where he accompanied seven Choral Services each week in addition to making several recordings with the Cathedral Choir and undertaking tours of Germany and the USA. He also took part in many live broadcasts of Choral Evensong on Radio 3 and was conductor of Bristol Cathedral Chamber Choir. After a period as Acting Organist and Master of the Choristers of Bristol Cathedral, Anthony moved to St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol, described by Queen Elizabeth I as ‘the fairest and godliest Parish Church’. Under his direction the choir produced two CDs, were involved in many broadcasts on local and national radio and television and made a trip to the USA in 2001. He was Assistant Director of the City of Bristol Choir and taught the piano and organ at Clifton College and Colston’s Collegiate School. After 3 years at St. Peter’s Church, Morristown, New Jersey, USA (during which he gave recitals at The Riverside Church, New York, Princeton University Chapel and St. Mary the Virgin, New York).

Anthony Pinel returned to England as Organist and Master of the Choristers of Grimsby Parish Church, now Grimsby Minster, where he directed the five Choral Services each week. He was also Assistant Director of Music of Louth Choral Society and Grimsby Bach Choir and holds the Associate Diplomas of the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Organists.

 

Richard at organ

Richard Walker – Assistant Director of Music

Richard joined the St Chad’s team in 2007; he accompanies most of the major services, organises the 45 weekly Friday lunch-hour concerts each year and gives recitals, including the complete organ works of J.S.Bach in 2010 and 2014, Messiaen’s La Nativité and Dupré’s Le Chemin de la Croix.

Richard studied organ with David Willcocks, gaining both ARCO and FRCO diplomas in the same year, and both with prizes. His career has been largely in teaching, first at The Edinburgh Academy, and then as Director of Music at Daniel Stewart’s and Melville College Edinburgh (1975 – 80), The Leys School Cambridge (1980 – 85), and Harrow School (1985 – 2005). He was also Assistant Organist at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral Edinburgh and subsequently Organist at St John’s, Princes Street, Edinburgh. He has given recitals all over the UK, and also in Germany and the USA.

 

 List of Organists and Directors of Music

Before 1716 – 1727 Edmund Baker
1732 – 1784 James Burney
1784 – 1846 John Wynne
Before 1865 – 1884 Walter Cecil Hay
1884 – 1910 Benjamin Pritchard
1910 – 1933 Walter Browning Ebrall
1933 – 1946 Frederick Austin Herbert
1946 – 1971 Reginald George Harwood
1971 – 1975 Alfred Samuel Wensley Baker
1975 – 1977 Richard D Stephens
1977 – 1981 David Heywood Grundy
1981 – 1984 Roger William Allen
1984 – 1985 Marc Rochester
1985 – 2006 William George Smallman
Autumn 2006 Susan Heath-Downey
2006 – 2014 David Leeke
August 2014    – Anthony Pinel