Widely recognised as one of the leading choral directors in Britain, David Hill was the Director of Music at St John’s College, Cambridge from 2004 to 2007. He also holds the posts of Musical Director of the Bach Choir, Chief Conductor of the Southern Sinfonia, Director of Florilegium Choir and Orchestra and Music Director of Leeds Philharmonic Society.
Born in Carlisle in 1957 and educated at Chetham’s School of Music, he was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists at the age of 17. He took an organ scholarship to St John’s College, Cambridge, under the direction of George Guest. Alongside organ studies with tutors including Gillian Weir and Peter Hurford, he conducted the University Opera Society and Cambridge University Music Society’s orchestra.
He has been awarded an honorary Doctorate by the University of Southampton in recognition of his services to Music. David Hill’s previous posts have included Master of the Music at Winchester Cathedral (1987–2002), Music Director of The Waynflete Singers (1987–2002) Master of the Music at Westminster Cathedral, Musical Director of the Alexandra Choir (1980–87), Associate Conductor and then Artistic Director of the Philharmonia Chorus (1986–1997). He regularly gives choral training workshops and summer schools in Britain and overseas, his handbook on the subject Giving Voice was published in 1995 and he is a choral advisor to music publishers Novello for whom he has edited the carol book Noâ. He has a broad-ranging discography of over 50 recordings for Decca/Argo, Hyperion, Naxos and Virgin Classics.
With the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Brandenburg Consort, City of London Sinfonia, Parley of Instruments and BBC Singers as well as the choirs of Westminster and Winchester Cathedrals, his recordings cover repertoire from Thomas Tallis to John Tavener. His recording of Victoria’s O Quam Gloriosum won a Gramophone Award and the same composer’s O Magnum Mysterium, Requiem and Tenebrae Responsories are Gramophone Critic’s choices. He received a Grammy as Chorus Master for Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast. David Hill has longstanding relationships with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers with whom he has conducted a wide range of repertoire. He has also appeared with many leading orchestras at home and abroad.
He has received critical acclaim for his discs with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra on the Naxos label: Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius (8.553885–86) with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and Wayneflete Singers, Finzi’s Intimations of Mortality (8.557863) with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, and Herbert Howells’s Hymnus Paradisi and Sir Patrick Spens (8.570352) with The Bach Choir.
