‘Come and sing’ with St Mary’s choir is taking place this Sunday 21st January led by our very own Director of Music, Simon Lole.
The “Come and Sing” event is open to all singers. Arrival at St Mary’s is for a 4.00pm rehearsal start. A cup of tea is provided between the rehearsal and the service which begins at 6.30 p.m. All Welcome. Music is provided. Just come and sing!
Simon Lole
Simon Lole started his musical education as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. After reading music at King’s College, University of London and furthering his keyboard studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Simon returned to St Paul’s as Organ Scholar and as a teacher at the Choir School there.
For over 30 years Simon worked as a professional church musician, including time at Croydon Minster and St Mary’s Collegiate Church in Warwick, culminating in the positions of Organist and Director of Music at both Sheffield and then Salisbury Cathedrals. He was also a Fellow and Acting Director of Chapel Music at Jesus College, Cambridge. In 2005 he was honoured with a Fellowship by the Guild of Church Musicians, and four years ago was awarded an ARSCM for services to church music.
Simon now leads a varied freelance career. He is very active as a composer, having more than 100 published works and regularly writes new commissions. Simon is also very busy as a choral and orchestral arranger and his arrangements are featured on many Decca, Classic FM and Deutsche Grammophon recordings, as well as on TV and Radio. He is Musical Director for a number of well-known artists.
Simon is in great demand as a choral director. He runs choral workshops across the globe, including having directed many RSCM America courses. He has been a regular Musical Director and organist for BBC Radio 4’s “Daily Service”, and is one of BBC TV’s “Songs of Praise” main conductors and arrangers. He has been accompanist and vocal coach for the BBC’s “Young Chorister of the Year” competition for many years as well as on the panel of judges. Simon is the Music Producer for BBC 2’s “Carols from King’s and Easter from King’s”. He also directs the music for ITV’s annual Christmas Carol Broadcast.
Simon also has a lot of experience as a broadcaster on both television and radio, and has written and presented five television series on church music for TBN-UK called “Sacred Harmony”. He also regularly presents programmes for Premier Christian Radio and presents a weekly show on Sundays on UCB2.
Since 2010, Simon has been Director of Music at St. Mary’s Church in Swanage, Dorset.