Biography

In March 1997 Simon was appointed Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral. With the cathedral choir he made a number of acclaimed recordings and many broadcasts, including BBC TV’s live Midnight Mass and “Songs of Praise” Christmas special. He took the boys and men on tour to South Africa, France, Brazil and USA and the girls and men to USA, France and Sweden. Under his direction the cathedral choir performed at the Proms, with the King’s Consort, Emma Kirkby, James Bowman and with Michael Chance. The choir performed to the Princess Royal, to the Prime Minister, recorded a sound track for Steven Spielberg and sang at the Naming Ceremony of one of P and O’s super liners. Simon also directed the music at the funeral of Sir Edward Heath. In 2001 Simon organized a festival to mark the 10th anniversary of the founding of the girls choir at Salisbury – conducting a concert and broadcast services with over 350 girl choristers from cathedrals across the land. Simon led a very active commissioning policy at the cathedral and conducted many first performances. He was Festival Director of the Southern Cathedrals Festival in 2000 and 2003. In 2005 he was awarded an honorary Fellowship by the Guild of Church Musicians for services to church music. In July 2005 Simon left his position in Salisbury to pursue a freelance career in music and the media. He spent the Michaelmas term 2005 as Acting Director of Music and Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge.

Simon is very active as a composer having more than 40 published works. Recent commissions include an anthem for the Southern Cathedrals Festival in Winchester, a Te Deum for Vero church in Florida, and an anthem for the installation of the Dean of Sacramento Cathedral, California. As an organist, Simon has performed in many of the major venues in England as well as giving concerts across the USA, South Africa, Sweden, France, Holland and Spain. Simon is also very busy as a choral director. For the RSCM he has run Summer Schools in South Africa and in New England, North and South Carolina, USA. He has also directed choral festivals and workshops in New York, Sweden, Holland, South Africa and right across England.

Simon is becoming increasingly in demand as a contributor and presenter on BBC Radio, working on shows like “The Early Music Show”, “The Choir” and “Pause for Thought".