STAFF OF THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

Timothy Noon was born in 1974 and began his musical career as a chorister in Hereford Cathedral Choir, learning the organ with Dr Roy Massey. At the age of seventeen he was appointed Organ Scholar of Canterbury Cathedral, and the following year became Organ Scholar at Christ Church, Oxford where he also read for a degree in music. In 1993 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, winning six prizes in the examination, including the coveted Limpus prize. On graduating with First Class Honours, Timothy was appointed sub-organist of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. He returned to Canterbury as Assistant Organist in January 1997 where, in addition to his work at the cathedral, Timothy was organist of the King’s School and Musical Director of The Canterbury Singers.

After his appointment as Organist and Master of the Choristers of St Davids Cathedral and Artistic Director of the St Davids Cathedral Festival in September 2001, he firmly established himself as one of the most active musicians in West Wales, not least through his work as Principal Conductor of the Dyfed Choir and Conductor of the St Davids Cathedral Festival Chorus. With both choirs he conducted acclaimed performances of major choral and orchestral works, such as Verdi’s Requiem and Belshazzar’s Feast. Timothy helped to reinvigorate the work of the Royal School of Church Music in West Wales as Chairman of the local Area Committee, by directing organ playing workshops and singing days. He also directed several international summer singing courses for the RSCM at Salisbury Cathedral and Ely Cathedral.

As an organist, he was a frequent solo performer, giving concerts in many prestigious venues such as St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. He has also toured extensively throughout Europe with Canterbury Cathedral Choir and St Davids Cathedral Choir.

Timothy has appeared many times on television and radio and has made several commercial recordings to date as soloist, accompanist and conductor. He is also active as a composer and arranger and his many projects have included music for brass and organ commissioned specially for the opening service of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, an anthem for St Cecilia’s Day, written for the visit of Her Majesty the Queen to St Davids Cathedral, on 22 November 2001, and various works published by the RSCM.

Richard Lea, Organist

Richard Lea studied at Royal Northern College of Music, and Christ´s and Notre Dame College, Liverpool. He was the Organ Scholar at the Metropolitan Cathedral and then Organist at the Church of St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire. He was appointed as Assistant Director of Music at the Metropolitan Cathedral in 1999, and he continues to direct local choral ensembles including the Brixi Singers and the Wigan Choral Society.

Philip Arkwright, Sub Organist

Philip Arkwright is the Cathedral Sub Organist, after spending three years as a Choral Scholar under Mervyn Cousins and one year as Organ Scholar. Philip graduated from Liverpool Hope University in 2004 in Theology and Religious Studies with Music, having studied with Philip Duffy amongst others and Simon Leach (organ) and Vanessa Williamson (voice). Philip held the Organ Scholarship at St Katharine’s Chapel at Liverpool Hope University for one year, and now studies Organ under Terence Duffy and Richard Lea. Philip began studying organ and choir training in his Parish Church of St Anne and Blessed Dominic, Sutton, with Dorothy Parr, where he still plays as an Assistant Organist. Philip is also vocal tutor at Runnymede - St Edward’s school (the Cathedral choir school).