Dr. Peter Hurford OBE - President

Born on St. Cecilia's Day 1930, Peter Hurford studied at the Royal College of Music before moving to Jesus’ College Cambridge in 1949 where he was organ scholar until 1953 and from where he graduated in music and law. Peter undertook National Service as an officer in the Royal Signals from 1954 to 1956 after which he became Organist at Holy Trinity Church, Leamington Spa.

In 1955 he married Patricia Matthews. Their two sons Michael and Richard were both Woollam’s Scholars in the Cathedral Choir; Michael also became Head Chorister. Heather, their daughter, was unable to sing at the Cathedral as there was no Abbey Girls’ choir at the time.

While Master of the Music at St. Alban's Cathedral, from which he retired in 1978 after 21 years' service, he raised the standard of the Choir to be comparable with the best Cathedral and Collegiate choirs in the UK. Peter also initiated the famous “Choir Camp” at Luccombe and in 1958 he brought together many parish church choirs from Herts and Beds for the first Biennial Diocesan Choirs’ Festival.

In 1963, Peter founded the International Organ Festival and was Artistic Director until 1978. He has been President ever since. Peter Hurford's recital career spans 41 years and he is one of the most recorded instrumentalists of the past twenty years. As a freelance organist from 1978 until 1998 he became particularly well known for his interpretation of Bach's complete organ music and in 1988 he published his book ‘Making music on the organ'.

In 1997 his career culminated with 15 concerts of Bach Organ Works at the 50th Edinburgh Festival.

From 1980 to 1982 Peter was President of the Royal College of Organists and Visiting Artist-in-Residence to Sydney Opera House. He is an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Music and of the Royal School of Church Music.

In 1984 Peter Hurford was honoured with the O.B.E. and in November 2007 he was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Herts., his third.

Andrew Lucas - Vice President

Andrew Lucas has been the Master of the Music at the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban since 1998.

His career began St Paul's Cathedral in 1980 as organ student and he became subsequently Assistant Sub-Organist (1985) and Sub-Organist and Assistant Director of Music (1990–1998).

Born in Wellington, Shropshire in 1958, Andrew studied organ at the Royal College of Music with John Birch, and composition with Herbert Howells. He graduated with a BMus from the University of London and continued his organ studies after college with Peter Hurford. The award of the W T Best Scholarship from the Worshipful Company of Musicians then enabled him to study with Piet Kee at the Sweelinck Conservatoire, Amsterdam.

As an organ soloist he plays concerts throughout the UK and has given recitals in Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Bermuda and the USA.

In 1997 he spent three months on sabbatical as Organist and Master of the Choristers at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney, Australia.

As conductor, Andrew has been Chorus Master of the London Concert Choir, Assistant Conductor of the City of London Choir and deputy chorus master with the Royal Choral Society, the Brighton Festival Chorus, the Academy of St Martin's-in-the-Fields Chorus and the Philharmonia Chorus.

In 2007 he directed the annual Choir Directors’ Course at St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York.

Since Andrew took up his position as Master of the Music the Cathedral Choir has toured Sweden, France, The Netherlands, Rome and the Eastern seaboard of the USA, made several broadcasts (including Choral Evensong on Radio 3 and morning service on ITV) and sung at the late Queen Mother's 100th birthday celebrations.

Andrew was made an Honorary Fellow of the Guild of Church Musicians in 2006.

Malcolm (Big Mac!) Bury - Chairman

Malcolm became Chairman of the Ex-Choristers’ Association in September 2007 following the Inaugural Reunion in July and has held the position since then.

Malcolm was an Alto Lay Clerk from 1971 to 1982 singing with Dr Peter Hurford and Dr Stephen Darlington. He left the Cathedral Choir to move to New Zealand with the Shell Group of Companies and thereafter to Indonesia, Thailand, Scotland and Oman.

He now sings with The Wingrave Singers, a group he previously directed and, when he can, as an Honorary Lay Clerk with the St. Andrew's Cathedral Choir in Aberdeen for their main festivals and choral events.

Malcolm and his wife, Luanda, now live in Aston Clinton, Aylesbury.

(vacant) - Honorary Secretary

Simon Colston - Finance & IT Manager

Having been a singer since the age of 5, Simon Colston now sings Tenor in the Abbey choir on a job-sharing basis. For his daytime job he is responsible for the IT and financial management for a number of companies and groups, providing IT strategies, systems and financial and administrative management.

John Adams - Representative for 1960/1970s

Already a member St. Mary’s Church Choir, Ware, John was greatly encouraged as an Alto when Dr. Alwyn Surplice of Winchester Cathedral came to hear the church choir just before the 1958 RSCM Festival being held at the St. Albans Abbey.

John joined the Abbey Choir in June 1960, after being persuaded to audition by Cantoris lay clerk John Tournay whom he went on to succeed as a lay clerk for 13 years and remained in the choir until July 1980. John’s son, Mark became a Cathedral Chorister in 1973. John was Adam House Master and had fun with cricket matches, treasure hunts and carol singing at the hospital at Christmas. John was also a keen camper and remembers well the advance parties for the early annual camps at Luccombe. John was a member of the Alban Singers and also Competition Secretary for the 2001, 2003 and 2005 International Organ Festivals.

John enjoyed the first reunion; not only meeting old friends, but also realising that he could still sing. In his spare time John enjoys radio control model planes, oil painting and his 60’ canal boat.

John Meager - Representative for the 1970/1980s

John started singing as a boy at St. Cuthbert’s Rye Park and, in his teens, at St. Augustine’s Broxbourne where there was a fine organist and choirmaster and they sang canticle settings and anthems at both Matins and Evensong.

Later, work in London and a move of house led to singing at St. Alban’s Holborn. Moving to Nottingham he joined the choir at the civic church of St. Mary, again one that had managed to keep a good standard of repertoire, and included Wednesday Services of Choral evensong.

A move back south led to his hopeful request for his twin sons Jeremy and Simon to be considered for an audition to be probationary choristers. As an afterthought he offered himself as a tenor. Peter Hurford heard and accepted all three and so started, in 1975 his very happy 12 years in the Cathedral choir and at choir camps.

Living now just south of Reading he sings in his parish church choir and with the chamber choir Cantemus Newbury.

John Tournay - Representative for the 1940/1950s

John joined the Cathedral Choir as a Treble in 1943 and being so small he had to stand on the kneeler box to see the music.

He left the front rows in 1951 having been Head Chorister and one of the first Woollam’s Scholars, moving to the back row to sing Alto.

John served in the Household Cavalry as a Musician where he learnt several instruments, but continued singing in the Choir most weekends when military duties permitted. He also sang in the Garrison Church Choir in Windsor.

John sang under Dr Albert Tysoe, Meredith Davies, Peter Burton and Peter Hurford and was part of Camp staff for several years.

John finally left the Cathedral Choir in 1969 for more time with growing children.

John’s career has been mostly in the Construction Industry. He is married with three sons and involved in local community work and as a member of Dunstable Priory Church.

Trevor Jarvis - Representative for the 1950/1960s

Trevor joined the Abbey Choir as a probationer in 1957, under Peter Burton, and was made a chorister a year later under Peter Hurford and continued until 1961, when his voice broke. He went on the first Luccombe camp in 1958.

Trevor studied music in London and at Southampton University, and was latterly Director of Music at Buckfast Abbey, until taking early retirement in 2007. Since then he has worked part-time on the staff of the Royal School of Church Music in Salisbury, running choir-training workshops.

Hannah Watts - Representative for the Abbey Girls' Choir

Hannah is currently in her fourth year studying the flute at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and is taught by Philippa Davies, Sarah Newbold and Ian Clarke. She also studied singing for her first two years. She was a Du Cane Music Scholar at St Albans High School for Girls.

Hannah has been a member of the Hertfordshire County Youth Orchestra, conducted by Peter Stark, since she was sixteen and has also played with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

In 2009 she won the concerto competition at Sutton Music Festival. Hannah was a member of the Abbey Girls’ Choir from 1996 to 2004 and was a Lewis Barclay Chorister. During her time in the Abbey Girls’ Choir she sang solos on BBC ‘Songs of Praise’ and on the CD ‘Lo the Full Final Sacrifice’. One of Hannah’s fondest memories of her time with the Abbey Girls’ Choir was singing the treble solo in Mendelssohn’s ‘Hear My Prayer’. She has been a member of the Rodolfus Choir since she was 16 and sings with the Omega Consort.

Laura Hicks - Representative for the Abbey Girls' Choir

Born and educated in St. Albans, Laura Hicks was a chorister at St. Alban's Abbey from 1996 until 2003, as well as attending Junior Guildhall as a singer and flautist.

Whilst studying Physics and Chemistry at Durham University she sang with many of the chapel choirs and also the University Chamber Choir, Durham Cathedral Consort and the Rodolfus Choir.

Having graduated with a first class degree she is now teaching science, alongside maintaining her love of music by singing with many church choirs in London, and has appeared with chamber choirs including Philharmonia Voices, Surrey Voices and Mosaic at venues around the South-East including the Festival Hall, St Alban's Abbey and many others.