Philip Stopford

Philip W J Stopford (born 1977) is an English sacred music choral composer and choir director. He is known for his contemporary a capella and accompanied settings of traditional Latin and English prayers and hymns, including his setting of "Ave Verum Corpus", titled "Ave Verum", and of the Coventry Carol, titled "Lully, Lulla, Lullay". Three of Stopford's works appeared in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2014,[1] after he made his first appearance on the chart in 2013.[2]

Stopford began his musical career as a member of the choir of Westminster Abbey, and later graduated in music from Keble College, Oxford.[3] He has composed numerous other works, including a Te Deum, a Latin Mass, and various Latin canticles. He formerly served as the choral director of St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland, until the post was closed in 2010, causing five of the cathedral's board members to resign in objection.[4] He is currently the director of the Ecclesium professional choir, which has released many CDs of Stopford's original works, and of the smaller Melisma performing group which primarily tours Northern Ireland.

References

  1. ↑ Classic FM Composers - Philip Stopford Accessed 23 April 2014
  2. ↑ The Honourable The Irish Society - 2013 News. Accessed 23 April 2014
  3. ↑ Classic FM Hall of Fame 2014. Accessed 23 April 2014
  4. ↑ "Cathedral takes ex-judge to court on choir job discord". BBC News. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2012.

External links