Greg Smith GRNCM ARCO LTCL

Greg Smith was appointed Principal Conductor and Chorus Director from the start of the 2007-8 season.

Greg is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, where he studied organ, piano accompaniment and conducting.   He holds the Associate Diploma of the Royal College of Organists, in which he won the Sawyer and Durrant prizes, and is a Licentiate of Trinity College, London. 

Born in Kent, his early musical training began with David Flood at Canterbury Cathedral, and whilst a pupil at the Harvey Grammar School in Folkestone Greg won many prizes as an organist and pianist throughout the country.  In 1990, one year after joining the RNCM, he was the under-21 winner of the Paisley International Organ Festival, which led to recitals at Clare College, Cambridge; Coventry Cathedral; Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow; and the Royal Festival Hall, London.

Since this success, Greg has given recitals as an organist and accompanist at many venues throughout the UK, including the cathedrals at Carlisle, Manchester, Newcastle, Ripon, Rochester, Sheffield, St. Giles Edinburgh, and Truro; as well as at Cartmel Priory, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, and York Minster.

Greg is Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral Choir School, having previously taught at Ampleforth College and Hurworth House School near Darlington.  He is currently Organist and Choirmaster at Northallerton Parish Church and Accompanist and Deputy Conductor for Ripon Choral Society.  During their 2006-07 season he acted as Accompanist to Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus.

Andrew Christer

Andrew Christer was appointed Accompanist and Deputy Chorus Director from the 2007-8 season.

Andrew is one of the foremost organ virtuoso performers in the North of England.  He has been the Director of Music and Organist of St John the Evangelist Church, Darlington, for the past 30 years, and is Sub Organist at St Mary’s, Richmond.

In addition to this he is in demand as accompanist for many of the regional choirs and choral societies including Tees Valley Youth Choir and Cleveland Philharmonic Choir.  He also plays as Organist for the St. Paul's Chamber Choir in London.

Andrew's teachers have included Dr Francis Jackson, David Hill, Ian Shaw, Keith Wright and - “Mr Bach” himself -  John Scott Whiteley at York.  His own pupils have had recent success in the ABRSM diploma examinations.