Open
University honours RSNO Junior Chorus Director
Christopher Bell,
Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra's (RSNO) Junior Chorus, has
been presented with the award of Master of the University from the Open
University for Services to Music.
Christopher was
presented with the honorary degree at a ceremony at the Barbican Centre,
London, earlier this
month, and joined fellow honorary recipients: poet Roger McGough, new Poet Laureate Carol
Ann Duffy, and Music Director of the Hallé Orchestra Mark
Elder.
Christopher
Bell became the RSNO's Chorus Master in 1989 and has been in charge of the
Orchestra's Junior Chorus for the past 15 years. He is also Chorus
Director of the Grant Park Chorus in Chicago, USA,
and is Chorus Master of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and the Belfast
Philharmonic Choir. In 1996 he was the driving
force behind the inception of the National Youth Choir of Scotland
(NYCoS) and has been its Artistic Director ever
since.
In
2001, Christopher was awarded the Scotsman of the Year award for Creative
Talent. In 2003, he received the Charles Grove Prize for his contribution to
cultural life in Scotland and the rest of the
UK.
Christopher
Bell said: "I was quite taken aback to be put forward for this honorary degree,
and very humbled to be in such esteemed company. Working as part of a
great team, be it with singers of any age, administrators, pianists or
vocal coaches makes the experience very fulfilling."
The
RSNO Junior Chorus will be celebrating its 30th anniversary during
the RSNO's 2009-10 Season with a number of special events, including a
performance with the Orchestra and RSNO Chorus at the world-famous Concertgebouw
in Amsterdam in
January.
[ENDS]
For
further information please contact Daniel
Pollitt, Communications Manager on 0141 225 3571, Email: [email protected]
Christopher
Bell
Belfast-born Christopher
Bell is Chorus Director of the Grant Park Chorus, Chicago, USA,
Chorus Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus and
Chorus Master of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and Belfast Philharmonic Choir.
He was largely responsible for the formation of the National Youth Choir of
Scotland in 1996 and has been its Artistic Director since then.
Christopher Bell was
educated at Edinburgh
University and
held his first post as Associate Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony
Orchestra between 1989 and 1991. Since then he has worked with many of the major
orchestras in the UK and Eire, including the
Royal Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National, BBC Scottish Symphony,
Ulster, Scottish Chamber,
City of London Sinfonia, London
Concert, RTE National Symphony, RTE Concert and the Bournemouth Symphony
Orchestras.
Concerts in summer 2007
included Grant Park performances of MacMillan Cantos Sagrados, Duruflé Requiem, and a
critically acclaimed a cappella programme of American music. In addition NYCoS
undertook six concerts in Hungary.
Recent concerts have included debut workshop performances with the Royal
Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and performances with the Ulster Orchestra,
the RSNO, and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera alongside his commitments with the
RSNO Junior Chorus and Belfast Philharmonic Choir. Just released is
Christopher's first commercial recording with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera
and Billy Boyd of the music of Savourna Stevenson.
Christopher Bell enjoys
working with young people. Before his current posts with the RSNO and NYCoS, he
directed the TOTAL Aberdeen Youth Choir for six years, undertaking touring and
recordings with them as well as many concerts in the North East of Scotland. He
was the first Artistic Director of the Ulster Youth Choir between 1999 and 2004,
a group which he developed and moulded into a critically acclaimed ensemble.
Between 2001 and 2008 he was Artistic Director of the highly successful
Children's Classic Concert series.
For his work with singers,
and particularly his encouragement of young singers in Scotland,
Christopher Bell was awarded a Scotsman of the Year 2001 award for Creative
Talent. In 2003, he was awarded the Charles Groves Prize for his contribution to
cultural life in Scotland and the rest of the
UK.
- Log in to post comments