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Hugh is moving on! Big crowds attended for the service on Easter Sunday 2008 at which
we bid him Farewell. Hugh's base will remain in Kendal though he will be working in the Far East. But he will still be supporting us pending the arrival of Mark Swinton (currently assistant organist at Bath Cathedral ). |
Hugh Davies was born in Fishguard in South Wales and received piano tuition from Anita Harries and his first organ tuition from Peter Boorman at St. David's Cathedral. He won a scholarship to St. Catharine's College, Cambridge where he read music and studied organ with Peter le Huray. He subsequently studied organ with Gillian Weir.
In 1974 he was appointed Assistant Organist of Carlisle Cathedral and during the following eleven years gained a fine reputation as a choirtrainer, recitalist and conductor. From 1977 he was conductor of Wigton Choral Society and from 1979 Head of Music at Friends' School Wigton.
He was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers at St. Asaph Cathedral in 1985, a post which he held until 1997. During that time he achieved a high standard with the Cathedral choir as well as pursuing a career of teaching, performing and conducting. He was conductor of St. Asaph Choral Society, performing a large number of major choral works with the Philharmonia of North Wales.
On December 1st, 1998, he took up the position of Director of Music at Kendal Parish Church and in September 1999 took over the direction of Kendal South Choir.
He has performed in many of this country's leading venues, including Westminster, Liverpool, Edinburgh (St. Mary's), Newcastle, Carlisle, Bangor, St. David's, Birmingham, Leicester and Chester Cathedrals, St. Albans and Tewkesbury Abbeys and York Minster. He is an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
He holds the degrees of Master of Arts and Bachelor of Music from Cambridge University, is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and in March 2001 received the Archbishop of Wales’ Award for Church Music. In May this year, at an RSCM Festival in Durham Cathedral, he was made and Honorary Associate of the Royal School of Church Music for his contribution to that organisation over many years.
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