Sherborne
Summer School of Music
2024
Cappella Chamber Choir : Biographies
Greg Hallam iis an esteemed choral director, singer and teacher. He is Musical Director of Swansea Bach Choir, Reading Festival Chorus and Bracknell Choral Society. He is proud to have helped set-up the London Youth Choir, directing their boys’ choir and training choir and delivering workshops as part of their ‘Aspire’ scheme.
Greg was Assistant Music Director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain for several years and founded the Ulster Youth Junior Choir in 2017. He is tutor to the postgraduate choral conducting students at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, guiding them in the use of gesture and technique alongside how to lead efficient and effective rehearsals.
As singing teacher at Wellington College and Christchurch Cathedral School, Oxford, Greg teaches individual lessons to young singers aged 8-18. He works closely with Worcester College, Oxford; delivering regular workshops for the chapel choir, providing vocal tuition to undergraduate students and helping produce their most recent recordings. Recently he has been working with Mahogany Opera Group as Music Director for their ‘Snappy Operas’ - teaching and conducting ten newly commissioned 10-minute operas to children in Cornwall, Durham and Essex.
Greg's conducting and rehearsing style is drawn from his experiences as a singer. As a baritone he has sung with a number of groups including London Voices, Philharmonia Voices, Voces8 and Dieci Voices and is often asked to coordinate and sing in small ensembles for various private functions and for special services at the Dutch Church in London. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music, Greg was awarded an ARAM (Associate of the Royal Academy of Music) for his significant contribution to the music profession in 2019.
Simon Gregory studied music at Christ Church, Oxford under Simon Preston and Francis Grier and organ with Richard Popplewell, Nicholas Danby and Anne Marsden-Thomas. He retired from Emanuel School, Wandsworth in 2020 having completed periods as Head of Lower School and as Director of Music.
He has been an accompanist for the Association of British Choral Directors choral conducting courses in addition to various Sherborne choral and conducting courses. Simon has also acted as tutor and accompanist on Benslow Music Trust courses.
As well as giving organ recitals throughout the UK, he has accompanied various choirs in concerts and at services in many English cathedrals. He is also a past council member and present trustee of ABCD and has held posts as Musical Director with several choral societies.