Colin Hughes – Music Director and Conductor
Colin trained at Trinity College of Music, London, where he studied the violin. Whilst there, he was awarded scholarships for both piano and organ, and it was here that his interest in accompanying developed. He has performed in major venues including the Albert Hall, the Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Glyndebourne. He grew up in North London and held positions as Choirmaster and Organist at a number of churches, as well as playing in orchestras and chamber societies, giving solo recitals, conducting choral societies and drumming for a rock band. Colin has recently taken over as organist and director of music at St Mary’s Church, Eastbourne.
Over the years, the Society has enjoyed working with numerous gifted Music Directors. Records for the Society’s early years are largely missing; information from the 1950s on is more comprehensive.
F S Stammers: | during 1930s |
Montague Wheeler: | 1951-1955 |
Michael Lane: | 1957 – 1967; then made President |
Stanford Robinson: | 1960 |
Adrian Boult: | 1961 |
Cecil Cope: | 1962 |
Myer Friedman: | 1962, 1967 |
Nancy Plummer: | 1964 |
Dr Paul Steinitz: | 1965, 1966, 1968 |
Margaret Darwall-Smith: | 1965 – 1977, 1982 |
Cecil Coram: | 1968 – 1970 |
Ronald Sampson: | 1969 |
Hervey Alan: | 1970 |
Peter Gellhorn: | 1971 |
Anthony Hopkins: | 1972 |
Yuval Zaliouk: | 1973 |
Brian Richards: | 1977 – 1981 |
Leone Ratner: | 1981 |
Gordon Lawson: | 1982 – 1988, 1991, 1994 – 1997 |
Graham Jones: | 1988 |
Charles Spanner: | 1988 – 1990 |
Mavis (Paddy) Lister: | 1990 – 1994 |
Michael Downes: | 1996 |
John Underhill: | 1997 – 2008 |
Sion Parry: | 2008 – 2014 |
Anna Tabor: | 2014 – 2017 |
Colin Hughes: | 2018 – |