A Merry Noise!

Jonny Davies Conductor

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.

Alfie Beston Saxophone

Alfie Beston is 15 years old and loves music. He passed grade 8 saxophone with distinction at the age of 10 and his diploma on his last day of primary school. He won the Norman Trotman Competition (Bromley young musician of the year) at the age of 14 and, for the last four years, Alfie has played lead saxophone for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra Academy Big Band. Alfie’s singing career began at the age of nine when he recorded all the backing vocals for the TV theme for the CBBC programme School of Roars. The following year he became a chorister at the Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy, loved the experience and stayed there for a music-packed four years. Alfie became fascinated by choral music and, after leaving Savoy, took up playing the organ. He loves this and is currently one of the organists for St Mary’s Church, Bromley, besides regularly standing in at other churches in the area. Alfie loves composing, arranging and transcribing music. He also enjoys video editing and you can see all of his projects on his YouTube channel. His sax playing and music arrangements have been played on BBC Radio 3 and other radio stations. Alfie currently studies saxophone with the jazz legend, double Grammy award winning saxophone player Eric Marienthal. In his spare time Alfie enjoys flying drones and is a qualified drone operator.

From the programme of 2 July 2022.

Nick Beston Piano

Stephen Davies Organ

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.