Music Director
Terry McNamara was appointed Music Director to the Society in 2007. Born in Leeds, his studies at the Royal College of Music, notably harpsichord with Millicent Silver, led him into the world of early music, for which he has a particular passion. For some ten years he was Director of Music at St James’s Church, Piccadilly, and directed his own chamber orchestra. In 1992 he moved to France where he was organist of Langres Cathedral and Musical Director of l’Ensemble Vocal Montéclair (EVM). In 2006 the family (by now including two daughters and one cat) returned to England, but he continued his strong relationship with the EVM and returned to Langres on a very regular basis until 2015. During this period many major choral works were performed (including Bach’s B minor Mass and St John Passion; Mondonville’s Grand Motets; Masses by Campra and Charpentier; and Purcell’s King Arthur).
In his work with the Lower Windrush Choral Society, Terry’s emphasis on early music has continued, but not to the exclusion of all else. (See our concert history for full details of past programmes, which have included, for instance, works by such later composers as Brahms, Fauré, Vaughan-Williams and Bernstein.) Striking a good balance between the needs of those with more and less musical training in a non-auditioned choir is not always straightforward. Despite this, Terry’s aim is to make rehearsals fun but rewarding for all, and he aspires to increase the ambition of the concerts performed by the Society – and to continue to increase the standards achieved.
Away from conducting, Terry works as a piano teacher and organist.