Our Musical Director is TIM HOOPER who joined us
in 2001. Tim studied music at Oxford University,
where he was Organ Scholar at St. Edmund Hall. He
was also the conductor of several college choral
societies and the Oxford Sinfonietta. Performances
included Elgar “The Dream of Gerontius” in the
Sheldonian Theatre.

In his home town of Bournemouth, Tim became the
conductor of the orchestra of Gli Amici Della Musica
(Dorset Young Musicians) in 1983, performing works
such as Shostakovitch Symphonies 5 and 10 and
Mahler Symphony No. 5. For Gli Amici's 25th
Anniversary Reunion Concert, Tim was invited as
guest conductor to perform Mahler Symphony No. 2,
Resurrection, in the Winter Gardens.

Tim became conductor of the Bournemouth Bach Choir in 1992 and with them has given many highly acclaimed performances including all the major choral works of J.S. Bach, the Brahms, Duruflé, Fauré and Mozart settings of the Requiem, Mozart Mass in C minor  and annual performances of Handel Messiah in Christchurch Priory at Christmas.

Tim was also a member of the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus for ten years whilst he was a music master at Canford School.

In the summer of 1997, he became a freelance conductor and pianist.  He has worked with the London Philharmonic Chorus, London Symphony Chorus, and Bournemouth Symphony Chorus.   He has worked as accompanist for opera coaching sessions with Ludmilla Andrew and for a master class with Philip Langridge at the Royal Academy of Music and as conductor  with the Dorset Youth Orchestra and the Goldsmiths Sinfonia and Chorus, with whom performances have included Tippett A Child of our Time, Sibelius Symphony No 1, Beethoven Symphony No 9 Choral, Orff Carmina Burana, Mozart Requiem and, most recently, Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony in Southwark Cathedral.

In 1998 Tim became the Musical Director of the Grange Choral Society, Christchurch.   With them he gave performances of large-scale choral works, including Elgar Dream of Gerontius with Neil Jenkins, Walton Belshazzar's Feast in the Winter Gardens with the Dorset Youth Orchestra and Verdi Requiem for the Grange's 40th Anniversary Concert.

In September 2000, Tim formed Christchurch Sinfonia, a  professional freelance chamber orchestra for a candle-lit performance of concerts including ' Baroque Classics'  ' Serenade by Candlelight' and 'Mozart Classics'.  The orchestra now performs regularly in the South with Tim as Conductor and Musical Director.

Tim gave up his post with the Grange in September 2001 in order to take over as Musical Director of the Hutton & Shenfield Choral Society, with whom he continues to share his great love of music.

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Our Accompanist is TIM SMITH who joined us in 2002.

Tim studied piano under Jan Adey and has developed a genuine
understanding of the art of accompanying. As a skilled pianist
and sympathetic performer he is now in great demand, and
he has worked with a number key operatic companies, such
as The Carl Rosa Opera Company, Cameo Opera, Hatstand
Opera, New Devon Opera and The New Savoyards of London.

As a recital accompanist Tim has successfully performed Song
Cycles of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Dvorak and Michael
Head plus programmes of Russian music.

He has extensive experience as a choral accompanist with regular
appearances with major choirs, taking part in performances of
large scale choral works such as Orrf’s Carmina Burana, Britten’s
War Requiem and Constant Lambert’s Rio Grande.

Tim’s skills are often applied to lighter music, with regular performances at The Players Theatre, London, and he has worked on many musicals, including most recently, Les Misérables and We Will Rock you.

Tim also performs as a successful solo pianist and has recently completed a series of solo recitals across the South East, and a performance of Rhapsody in Blue.