Stephen Bullamore – Musical Director

Stephen was appointed Musical Director of the North Herts Guild of Singers in September 2009. He started his musical life as a chorister at York Minster and, afterwards, studied as an undergraduate at Keble College, Oxford, as Organ Scholar, where with the chapel choir he recorded a number of CDs, including part of Priory Records’ Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis series and broadcast live on BBC radio. In conjunction with his post at Keble, Stephen was Organist and Director of Music at St Mark’s, Swindon.

 Following a decade away from academia, postgraduate study at Goldsmiths College, London, resulted in the degree of MMus in Historical Musicology, gained with Distinction. He is now associated with Bangor University, researching British Church Music following the death of Purcell.

Stephen spent a year at Guildford Cathedral as Organ Scholar before moving to Lincoln Cathedral in 2001 as an Assistant Organist.

Since his appointment as Director of Music at Waltham Abbey in 2005 he has led the church choir through major works such as Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St John Passion and Duruflé’s Requiem as well as regular services. The choir has also toured to Guildford, Lincoln and Chelmsford Cathedrals and has recently recorded a CD, released to mark the 950th anniversary of the consecration of the church.

Stephen directs the chamber choir, Ferdinand’s Consort, whose recording output includes CDs of the music of Thomas Morley and restoration composer Thomas Tudway.

An accomplished choir director and organist, he holds diplomas in both disciplines from the Royal College of Organists. In recent years he has been particularly involved with twenty-first century music, giving premières of Voices of Benslow by Morgan Hayes with NHGS and Ode to St Cecilia, a major work by Philip Moore.

Barnet Choral Society also enjoy the benefits of Stephen’s expertise; they recently sang Handel’s Israel in Egypt for his first concert as their Musical Director. Interspersed with these other commitments, Stephen examines for the ABRSM.