CHRISTOPHER BARTON was born in London and was, from 1975 to 1978, Organ Scholar of Worcester College, Oxford. He also studied organ with Richard Popplewell and James Dalton, and composition with Edmund Rubbra. In 1979 he was appointed to his present post of Organist and Master of the Choristers at St Woolos Cathedral, Newport, one of the six cathedrals of the Church-in-Wales. Here he is able to indulge to the full his passionate love of choirtraining, and under his direction the choir of boys and men has broadcast frequently and  toured widely both inland and overseas (Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Belgium and Canada), as well as fulfilling its prime responsibility of providing choral worship at the cathedral. Many new works have been written for the cathedral choir, by such eminent composers as William Mathias, Herbert Sumsion, Philip Moore, Richard Shephard, Robert Ashfield, Elis Pehkonen, John Sanders, Andrew Seivewright, and Adrian Williams amongst many others. In 1996 he was also appointed Assistant Regional Director with responsibility for South Wales for the Royal School of Church Music; in 2000 he received the honorary award of Associate of the Royal School of Church Music, and in 2001 the Archbishop of Wales Award in Church Music, both in recognition of his outstanding contributions to church and cathedral music in and beyond Wales. From 1985 to 1998 he was also Music Director of the Dyfed Choir, one of the leading mixed voice choirs of the country, and with that choir and many nationally and internationally renowned soloists and orchestras he has conducted many major choral works including Bach’s Mass in B minor, Christmas Oratorio  and the   St John Passion and Beethoven’s  Missa Solemnis. Their final concert together, in October 1998 was a performance of Dvorak’s Stabat Mater in the Smetana Hall in Prague with soloists and orchestra from the Czech National Opera; he returned to the choir to guest conduct a performance of Bach’s Mass in B minor in St David’s Cathedral last summer. The magnificent rebuild of St Woolos Cathedral organ in 1997 by Nicholsons has led to a renewed interest in playing the organ, and recent recitals have included Brecon, Bristol, Carlisle, Hereford, Clifton, Chester,  St Asaph, Leicester, Dunblane, St Giles (Edinburgh), St Machar’s (Aberdeen) and St Woolos Cathedrals, St Mary Redcliffe, Cartmel Priory, Tewkesbury Abbey (two), Bath Abbey, Grimsby Parish Church, Leominster Priory (two for the Leominster Festival), Ludlow Parish Church and the National Museum of Wales (three), Leeds Town Hall, the Caird Hall, Dundee, and the magnificent Hradetsky organ of St Salvator’s Chapel at the University of St Andrews, as well many other churches and also concerts in Germany. Christopher Barton is also active as a teacher, with many students at Monmouth School and Rougemont School, as well as private pupils. What little spare time is available is spent walking, reading and enjoying the theatre.

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