Paul Spicer (20 January)
Paul Spicer is one of the UK’s most influential choral conductors. He came to prominence through his work with the Finzi Singers and their numerous recordings for Chandos Records. He conducts the Birmingham Bach Choir, and for twenty-two years until 2022 was conductor of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir with whom he made many acclaimed recordings. He was one of the first two people to create a post-graduate course in Choral Conducting, first at the Royal College of Music and then, later, at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He also taught at Oxford university and has been a regular guest conductor with the BBC Singers.
Paul was Senior Producer for BBC Radio 3 in the Midlands until 1990, leaving to become Artistic Director of the Lichfield Festival. He left that post in 2001 to devote himself to conducting, teaching, composing and writing. Major compositions include Easter and Advent Oratorios and a choral symphony ‘Unfinished Remembering’ commemorating the centenary of the start of World War 1. As an author he has written biographies of his composition teacher, Herbert Howells (Seren Books), and of Sir George Dyson (Boydell Press). His biography of Sir Arthur Bliss was published last summer attracting enthusiastic reviews and winning a Presto Music Award for book of the year. He has also contributed chapters to books about the music of Herbert Howells, Bliss and the Dance and Stanford’s Partsongs. He is a Fellow of University College, Durham, Honorary Research Fellow of Birmingham University, Fellow of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Chairman of the Sir George Dyson Trust, Chairman of the Herbert Howells Society, Trustee of the Finzi Trust, and a lay member of the Chapter of Lichfield Cathedral.
On the lighter side, he has a Parson Russell Terrier called Allegro non Troppo (Troppo for short) which he enjoys walking for several hours a day. They both enjoy their food with equal relish!
