The major strands of Derek’s career have been choral conducting and singing. He conducts choirs both large and small and has been Musical Director of the Hertford Choral Society for many years. He has been founder and director of chamber choirs in Harlow, Hertford and St Albans. He has directed three performances at the Royal Albert Hall, London with well over 850 performers in Britten’s War Requiem, Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, and Verdi’s Requiem. These three concerts have raised nearly £100,000 for a charity working for the blind. He has also directed a number of “Bring It and Sing It” performances, many of which have been in support of charities. He was invited to direct a Royal Gala concert for Princess Alexandra as part of a fund-raising programme for the local Princess Alexandra hospital in Harlow.

With the Hertford Choral Society, Derek has worked with a number of distinguished British orchestras and soloists. He has also been responsible for several initiatives with the Hertford Choral Society with a particular focus on developing young musicians (a student conductor scheme in association with several London conservatoires), improving the training of singers (an award-winning coaching scheme) and encouraging young people to gain the “large choir” experience (Bursaries at local schools).

Derek’s musical career began as a chorister at Salisbury Cathedral. He won a Music Scholarship to Bradfield College (Berkshire) and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra (as a General Musician, cellist and organist) for several courses. Following that he won an organ scholarship to Oxford University (St Edmund Hall), then gained a Music Degree and Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists (FRCO). He took on his first choral society (the Cumnor Choral Society) while at Oxford, in succession to the distinguished English choral director, John Byrt. Later he gained a Music Teacher’s Certificate from the London Institute of Education and taught at secondary level for a while. He also gave instrumental lessons in local Music Schools for many years.

As a singer, he was the principal soloist with the St George’s Canzona, which was one of the leading medieval music groups at the height of the revival of interest in medieval music in England, giving many concerts in and around London and recording for a number of major record labels including Argo, CRD, EMI and ASV. He has given recitals and taken parts in oratorios as well as singing in Cathedral choirs and other consorts. He is a reserve singer for the BBC Singers.

Derek has more recently expanded his musical activities; for example, he is an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, has adjudicated various music competitions, has coached speakers as well as singers and is Director of Music of a local church.

When Derek was asked to become Musical Director of the Hertford Choral Society, his predecessor had been with the choir for 5 years. Derek could not imagine keeping it up for 5 years … but that was over 20 years ago and there are still many things to be done!

Derek can be contacted at derekharrison@choral-society.com