The Church Choir

John Wright, Music Director

JOHN WRIGHT, our Director of Music, introduces himself…

I first came to Cheltenham in 1982 and we now live in Charlton Kings. I am married to Helen, and we have two grown up children, Tim and Naomi. Helen is a singer, and teaches singing at St Edward's School and privately. She also runs "Early Music", a fun music programme for pre-school children, which takes place in Charlton Kings.

Having started to learn the organ at school, I trained as a musician at Cambridge (where I was organ scholar at Trinity Hall) and the Royal Academy of Music. Much of my career has been spent as a schoolteacher, and I have taught music in a number of schools in this area. I am now a freelance musician with a number of varied musical interests. Apart from my work at St Peter's I teach the piano and organ privately, and spend some time each term as an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. I am also the conductor of Charlton Kings Choral Society - my longest-running single activity! We have performed some interesting works over the years, and been on tours. In 2004 I composed a new work for them, "In Praise of Earth's Beauty". Next year the choir will celebrate its 50th anniversary. As an organist I give recitals from time to time, and often accompany choirs in concerts and cathedral visits. I have just returned from a tour to Bruges, playing for Philomusica. I also enjoy accompanying on the piano, and often play for Helen in recitals. I occasionally conduct other groups of musicians, and in the last year have performed twice with Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra.

In the last few years we have become involved with various town-twinning activities, visiting Annecy and Göttingen to take part in concerts. In 2003 I was fortunate enough to be invited to give an organ recital in the International Organ Festival in Sochi. Last summer I conducted a choral concert in Cheltenham involving choirs both from here and Göttingen. I have also been involved with the Holst Birthplace Museum, helping to promote Gustav Holst's music. This was particularly significant when I was organist at All Saints', the church where he grew up.

For the type of work I do Cheltenham is a rewarding place to live, and we enjoy the many opportunities offered by such a musically vibrant place. We do like to escape from it all occasionally, however, and this summer we will be walking in the Austrian Alps in order to feel refreshed enough for what will undoubtedly be another busy round of musical activity in the Autumn. I was attracted to St Peter's by the knowledge that it is a friendly and active church, and I know that I will really enjoy working with the choir to produce the music for the Sunday services. I think it is also an excellent venue for concerts, and I will continue to promote them here. 

www.johnwright.glenfallmusic.co.uk

John Wright

January 2012

Email: organist@  with the suffix stpeters-leckhampton.org.uk