Glasgow Cathedral Choir is composed of professional singers and choral scholars. It maintains a high standard of music at the Cathedral’s Sunday services, drawn from the rich heritage of sacred choral repertoire, which spans a thousand years. This contribution to the prayer of the congregation is fitting to the unique beauty of the Cathedral and a testimony to its place in the vibrant cultural life of the city of Glasgow.
There are currently vacancies for both full-time and deputy singers. All enquiries should be made to the Director of Music :
iain.simcock@glasgowcathedral.org.uk
The Director of Music
Iain Simcock was organ scholar at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle and Christ Church, Oxford, before being appointed acting Sub-Organist at Westminster Abbey and, from 1988-1994, Assistant Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral. He was the first British prize-winner in the Chartres International Organ Competition and studied with David Sanger in London and Jean Langlais in Paris.
He recorded several CDs for Hyperion accompanying the choir of Westminster Cathedral under the direction of James O’Donnell. His solo organ recordings include Symphonies IV & VI by Louis Vierne and notably the world première recording of Christus – A Passion Symphony for Organ by Francis Pott. He also gave first performances of works by Francis Grier, under whom he studied at Christ Church, Oxford. During this period, recitals took him all over Europe as well as to Australia. He appeared on BBC radio and television and played in two Proms concerts at the Royal Albert Hall with Westminster Cathedral Choir. He gave many duo concerts and recorded a CD with Jonathan Freeman-Attwood (trumpet).
Iain moved to France to expand his freelance work in 1994 and was professor of choral singing at the Conservatoire National in Angers until 2001 and organist at the Abbey of Saint Pierre in Solesmes for a year, whilst continuing his solo career. He performed the complete organ works of Bach in Angers in 1996, recording a solo CD of highlights from the performances. He also performed some of Bach’s major harpsichord works, including the Goldberg Variations and the Six Partitas on the famous Taskin harpsichord in the Russell Collection at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
In 2001 Iain Simcock became Musical Director of the Maîtrise de l’Académie Vocale de Paris, which he built into the most ambitious choral project in France. The choir performs every Saturday afternoon at the church of Saint Merry in the heart of Paris, giving concerts of a vast repertoire of great choral music. The choir has given French premières of many British contemporary choral works, including works by Francis Grier, James MacMillan, Francis Pott, Graham Ross, Matthew Martin and David Briggs. The choir is increasingly in demand at major festivals throughout France. They had the privilege of singing a concert at the Abbey of Solesmes for its millennium in October 2010, in front of an international audience of Catholic hierarchy and Iain also recorded a CD alternating Bach and Gregorian chant with the monks to commemorate that anniversary.
He also works with the opera houses in Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux, preparing young singers for roles in Britten A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Turn of the Screw, Debussy Pelléas et Mélisande, Berlioz Damnation of Faust, Mozart Magic Flute and as assistant to Jane Glover and harpsichordist for Handel Jephtha.
Iain Simcock was appointed Director of Music at Glasgow Cathedral in January 2012, a year that will also see a series of performances of the complete harpsichord works of Bach, the result of several years of study and performance.
