Derek Harrison – KCC Musical Director
Choral conducting and singing have been central to Derek Harrison’s musical career. He has directed all sizes of choirs from a handful to over 800 (in four performances at the Royal Albert Hall, London of major works by Britten, Mahler, Verdi and Berlioz. He has founded/directed several chamber choirs and was MD of the Hertford Choral Society for over 40 years.
His singing career began as a chorister of Salisbury Cathedral. Later he was Organ Scholar at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, sang with the Clerkes of Oxenford; gained a music degree and the FRCO diploma. With St George’s Canzona – a much recorded and influential small early music group (based in Harlow) – he was the main singer. More recently he was an ABRSM examiner for a decade and is invited to adjudicate music competitions. In 2021, he was awarded Making Music’s Lady Hilary Groves prize and named as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow.
Now, amongst other activities, he sings in the St Albans Cathedral Choir, is invited to conduct other groups, enjoys playing the organ for services in a variety of churches, is President of the East Herts Church Choirs Association and is part of the RSCM Area Team.
