What's On

Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields
James Gough Organ
Tom Williams Director

Performers

The Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields is an outstanding liturgical voluntary choir of 25 singers, rooted in Sunday worship at St Martin’s. In addition, they sing for the worship services at all the major church festivals, including Advent, Christmas, Holy Week and Easter. The Choir is well known for its broadcasts on BBC Radio and TV recordings, tours and concerts. It has recorded three CDs, Christmas at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Evensong in Blue and a recording, The Art of Worship, in collaboration with the National Gallery. They have toured around the UK, to Berlin and Paris and across the USA, including visits to New York, Atlanta, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Washington DC.

Tom Williams is the Assistant Director of Music (Choral) at St Martin-in-the-Fields. His primary role is directing the choir of St Martin’s in Sunday liturgies and the Church’s major festivals. He also performs extensively with the group in concerts across the UK and Europe. In addition to his work at St Martin’s, Tom is the founder/director of the award-winning chamber choir, The Erebus Ensemble, which specialises in the performance of Renaissance and Baroque music. The group has collaborated with world renowned artists in this field and recently performed a staged version of Handel’s Messiah with Harry Bicket and The English Concert at Bristol’s Old Vic Theatre.

Aside from his busy performing schedule, Tom is a keen scholar and speaker on Early Music and has given lectures on subjects ranging from Allegory in the Eton Choirbook Collection to the Tintinnabuli style of Arvo Pärt. He is the Artistic Director of the Clifton International Festival of Music, which has played host to leading lights in the world of classical music, including The Tallis Scholars, The Sixteen and I Fagiolini.

James Gough graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Organ Performance from the Royal Academy of Music in 2009, where his principal organ teacher was Nicolas Kynaston. During his time at the Academy, James gained the Fellowship Diploma of the Royal College of Organists (FRCO) as well as the Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music teaching diploma (LRAM). He was also the recipient of several Academy prizes including the Eric Thiman Organ Prize for solo organ, open to all RAM organ students.

James has taken part in numerous masterclasses with internationally acclaimed organists Olivier Latry, Daniel Roth, Bine Bryndorf, Piet Kee, James O’Donnell, Patrick Russill and David Titterington, amongst others. Whilst studying at the Royal Academy of Music, James was chosen to play the organ for Elton John’s visit and has also taken part in numerous performances abroad with the organ department including South Germany, Sweden, Denmark and France. During this period, James was also organ scholar at St Bride’s Church Fleet Street where he performed regularly with the professional choir and music team for services and concerts, and it is a real pleasure to be returning to give this recital.

As a solo recitalist, James has played in many of the UK’s churches and cathedrals and has also given a number of world premiere performances by renowned composers including David Bednall and Diana Burrell, with the latter as part of London’s Spitalfields Festival. Since September 2017, James has been Assistant Organist at St Martin-in-the-Fields.