A biography of Christopher Larley who will conduct the Singing to Survive concert:
Christopher Larley read music at the Welsh College of Music and Drama. From 1996 to 2004 he was a Tenor Lay Vicar of Chichester Cathedral, and from January 2005 he has been Director of Music at St. Paul’s Church, Chichester. Christopher now combines percussion and singing teaching at local schools with solo singing, composing and choral direction. He has conducted London Concertante, the Arun Sinfonia, South Downs Concert Band and the Emerald Ensemble recently.
He has made many recordings, television and radio broadcasts, notably with Llandaff and Chichester Cathedral Choirs, and as a conductor with singer Cathy Burton and for the Women’s World Day of Prayer.
Recent conducting engagements have included Charpentier Te Deum in Chichester Cathedral, and Mozart Requiem in the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London.
Recent singing engagements include Montverdi’s Vespers in Ludlow, Handel Messiah in Sussex and London, Haydn Creation in both Southwold and Shropshire, and Mozart Requiem in Chichester Cathedral.
Forthcoming engagements include Handel Messiah, a recital of Wesley songs, conducting workshops on Vivaldi Gloria, Monteverdi Beatus Vir, plus a singing day devoted to English Choral Classics.
Since he took over the position of Director of Music at St. Paul’s, Christopher has founded the biennial St. Paul’s Choral Festival, where he is artistic director. Christopher has previously conducted Bognor Regis Choir, Chichester Chorale and Brighton Chamber Choir. He founded Chantry Quire in 1999, a chamber choir that regularly commissions new works and performs existing choral greats. Christopher’s compositions have been performed by his choir and also by other groups, most recently by St Alban’s Cathedral Choir. He was commissioned to compose a piece for the 2010 Mayfield Festival, Missa Brevis, and is working on a commission for an ordination. His music is published by Chichester Music Press.
When not engaged in professional music making, Christopher plays cricket for the Broadhalfpenny Down Brigands at Hambledon.