STEPHEN DARLINGTON
[photo Rhian Ap Gruffydd]
Stephen Darlington is one of the country’s leading choral conductors. He was Organ Scholar at Christ Church in the early 1970s, before spending four years as Assistant Organist at Canterbury Cathedral prior to his appointment as Master of the Music at St Albans Abbey, where he also directed the International Organ Festival. In 1985 he returned to Christ Church as Organist and Tutor in Music. Since then he has divided his time between establishing the college as an acknowledged centre of academic musical excellence, and maintaining the highest choral traditions of the Church of England in Christ Church Cathedral. The choir's extensive discography includes several award-winning CDs. Stephen has travelled worldwide both with the choir and as an organist and conductor and under his direction, the choir have sung with many great artists including Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, James Bowman, Paul Whelan and John-Mark Ainsley. Also, Stephen has collaborated with some of the most distinguished contemporary composers such as Judith Weir, John Tavener, Robert Saxton and Howard Goodall. From 1999-2001 Stephen was President of the Royal College of Organists. He is currently Choragus of the University of Oxford, and is the holder of a Lambeth Doctorate.
[photo Bi Scott]