Conducting  

Robin is conductor of two choirs:  Ipswich Choral Society (founded in 1824 and the second oldest such choir in the country), and the Cantate chamber choir, based in Sevenoaks.  Until the summer of 2020 he was Director of Music at Corpus Christi College Cambridge, where a main part of his role was directing the chapel choir in their regular services.  Whilst living in Florence (Italy) Robin was choral director to the religious community at La Badia Fiorentina, Florence’s Abbey church, training them for their daily worship, with sung four-part liturgy.  Other previous appointments include conducting East Horsley and Stanmore Choral Societies.  Along with his regular commitments Robin has recently helped as rehearsal director for Magdalene College Cambridge choir, the New Cambridge Singers, and conducted St John’s Voices (Cambridge) in their Remembrance service singing the Duruflé Requiem. 

Over more than twenty-five years of conducting Robin has gained a reputation as an inspiring and innovative conductor.  He has devised unique and imaginative programmes, commissioned and conducted world premiere performances, and helped choirs grow and develop.  All this with a focus on excellence, but importantly always with the joy of music-making as the central aim.  

Past concerts with Ipswich Choral Society include:  Mendlessohn’s Elijah in Snape Maltings with Halifax Choral Society (celebrating Halifax’s 200th anniversary).  The world-premiere of Tom Randle’s Affirming Flame, also given in Snape.  He conceived and wrote the script for the choir’s project commemorating the centenary of the Great War:  Ipswich Remembers – with a cast of over 200 people, combining local dancers, actors, poets, film maker, animator, and musicians on stage together with lighting and projection, telling the story of Ipswich people and the impact of the war on their daily lives.  

Over nearly twenty years as conductor of Cantate he has conducted Bach’s Christmas oratorio and St John Passion, Monteverdi’s Vespers, Peter Maxwell Davies’ Solstice of Light, Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus.  The choir have also performed new music by Stevie Wishart, Lauren Redhead, Frederick Frahm, David Nunn and Paul Newton-Jackson.  Together with Oliver Sändig he founded Vivace!, a period instrument ensemble to work alongside Cantate.  A particular highlight was Renaissance Revealed, a 90 minute long programme of Italian Renaissance repertoire performed with period instrument players and with projected images of art from the period.  

As well as regular rehearsals and concerts with his choirs Robin is also available for choral workshops and coaching sessions.  He has led a series of hymn singing days, based around the Methodist hymn book Singing the Faith.  Workshop days designed to explore the wide range of congregational music in the new book, with rhythmic games, harmony singing and a lot of fun culminate in worship together.  

Robin is always happy to work with you and your ensemble for a one-off workshop session, or to put together a longer-term plan for your group.  He also offers one-to-one and group coaching in conducting and rehearsal skills. Please get in touch to explore options and to find out more about what is possible.