Northern Light

Stephen Davies Conductor

Stephen Davies, a former chorister of St Paul’s Cathedral, London, and Music Scholar of Queen’s College, Oxford, was awarded a scholarship by the Austrian Institute to study with the great organist and composer Anton Heiller at the Academy of Music in Vienna. He has since been active both in the field of music education – particularly at St Olave’s School, Orpington, where he was Director of Music for seventeen years – and as an organ recitalist. In this capacity he has given concerts in major venues throughout Europe, in New York and in New Zealand. In 2017 he gave concerts in Estonia, Germany, and Norway, and last year he performed in King’s College and Trinity College, Cambridge. He founded the Sine Nomine Singers in 1994 and conducted this chamber choir for almost 20 years, giving concerts in local venues as well as in Estonia, France and Germany. He was Director of Music here at St George’s from 2002 to 2016.

From the programme of 15 October 2022.

Jonny Davies Baritone

After being Queen’s Chorister and then Head Chorister at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, Jonny Davies won a music scholarship to Trinity School, Croydon. During his teenage years he studied violin with John Francis, piano with Nigel Clayton at Croydon Schools Piano Centre and organ with Simon Williams. He also acted as assistant organist at St Mary’s Church, Addington. He then went to Brasenose College, Oxford where he received an Organ Exhibition, and sang with Schola Cantorum and the Oxford Chamber Choir. Since leaving Oxford, Jonny has sung as a lay clerk in Guildford Cathedral, with the Holst Singers conducted by Stephen Layton, and with professional church choirs all over London. He was Director of Music at St Olave’s Church, Hart Street and St Katharine Cree in the City of London, from 2007 until 2015.

From the programme of 4 February 2023.

Lesley Schatzberger Clarinet

Lesley Schatzberger has been at the forefront of historical instrument performance whilst also remaining active in a broad range of music making. She was appointed as principal clarinet to Roger Norrington’s London Classical Players and to John Eliot Gardiner’s English Baroque Soloists and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. In addition, she has played regularly with Christopher Hogwood’s Academy of Ancient Music, with which she has also appeared as concerto soloist. At the other end of the musical spectrum she has recorded and toured extensively with Stockhausen’s chamber ensemble. Her recordings include the Clarinet Quintet by Brahms, with the Fitzwilliam String Quartet, which been hailed by BBC Music Magazine as ‘the new benchmark’. Lesley’s time is now divided between her playing and the running of Jessie’s Fund, the charity which helps seriously ill and disabled children through the therapeutic power of music as a form of communication. The charity was established in memory of her daughter, Jessica, who died at the age of nine.

From the programme of 12 December 2009.

Michael Strange Organ