The Cathedral Music Department is lead by the Diocesan Director of Music, joined by our Cathedral Organist and a team of professional Lay Clerks.
There are four choirs that lead the worship at the Cathedral during the year, the Cathedral Choir, the Cathedral Consort the Cathedral Junior Choir and the Children's Choir.
Previous Directors of Music have included Nick Gale and Norman Harper, and previous Organists have included Nicholas O'Neill and Frederick Stocken.
Jonathan Schranz
Diocesan Director of Music
jonathanschranz@rcaos.org.uk
Jonathan Schranz has been Director of Music at St George’s Cathedral since 2019. He studied for an MMus and LRAM in Choral Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music where he was awarded a Distinction along with numerous prizes, and holds a first-class music degree from the University of Cambridge.
Jonathan is the principal conductor for all choirs at St George’s Cathedral, including the Choristers, Consort, Junior Choir and Lay Clerks. He also oversees the Southwark Singing Programme, a music education initiative which works with thousands of children each week in schools across the diocese. As diocesan director of music, Jonathan also oversees the diocesan music committee and diocesan choir, offering training and support to parish musicians.
In addition to his role at St George’s Cathedral, Jonathan is in demand as a freelance workshop leader, conducting tutor and vocal coach. He has led sessions for the Association of British Choral Directors, the Royal School of Church Music, and the Venerable English College in Rome. Jonathan was also the conductor of the Purcell Singers, an award-winning London chamber choir, and for three years was Musical Director at the University of Greenwich.
A firm believer in the transformative social impact of choral music, Jonathan is a trustee for the charity Sing Inside which delivers singing workshops in prisons across the country. His Master’s thesis, exploring the benefits of choral music within a prison chaplaincy, has been presented at the Universities of Leicester and Oxford.
Website: www.jonathanschranz.co.uk
Alex Flower
Cathedral Organist
cathedralmusic@rcaos.org.uk
Alex Flower is the organist at St George’s Cathedral, where he accompanies the weekly services and works with the choirs. He can also be seen as a freelance recitalist, accompanist, teacher and continuo player around London. After graduating from the University of Oxford with a first class music degree, Alex moved to London and continued his development as Organ Scholar of St Mary’s Bourne Street. He studied organ with William Whitehead and is a prizewinning Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and is currently completing an MMus degree at the Guildhall School of Music. Alex is also an organ teacher at King’s College School, Wimbledon, and the School Organist at St Paul’s School, where he teaches and plays for services.
Lay Clerks
Sebastian Budner
Senior Lay Clerk
Sebastian has been a Lay Clerk at St George’s Cathedral since 2004 and is currently the longest serving member of the Music Department. He graduated from a Music Degree at Royal Holloway, where he held a Choral Scholarship in the Chapel Choir, and now has a career in film and television production, as well as being founder and manager of London chamber choir Colla Voce Singers.
Lucy Chapman
Lay Clerk
Lucy read Music at Durham University, and held choral scholarships at St John’s college and the college of St Hild & St Bede. Following this she completed a Masters degree at the University of York in historical vocal performance, and a Masters in Music Therapy at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Lucy now works as a Music Therapist for the NHS, specialising in mental health care of older people, alongside her position as Alto Lay Clerk at St George’s Cathedral.
Jacob Werrin
Lay Clerk
Jacob is one of our Alto lay clerks and has held choral scholarships at St David’s Cathedral and King’s College London. When not singing, he works as a Production Co-Ordinator at St John’s Smith Square.
Jonathan Wood
Lay Clerk
Jonathan moved to London in 2023 and balances a portfolio career as a musician and chartered accountant. He recently completed an MA Music (Choral Conducting) at the University of Birmingham and is currently Musical Director of the Surrey Youth Choir and Exeter Bach Choir. Jonathan regularly sings solo with choral societies around the UK and previously sang in the choirs of Buckfast Abbey and Exeter Cathedral in Devon.
Robert Martin
Lay Clerk
Robert is from London and has been in the choir since January 2022. He is currently in 4th year at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, studying singing. He was previously a Choral Scholar at Southwark Anglican Cathedral.
Albert Soriano
Lay Clerk
Albie is a freelance tenor based in London. As a boy alto he was Cardinal’s Chorister at Westminster Cathedral before joining Eton College as a Music Scholar singing tenor in the Chapel Choirs. He has toured across Europe and to Hong Kong. Albie became a Lay Clerk at St George’s while an undergraduate at the London School of Economics, where he was the first Howard Clarke Scholar, read Sociology, and studied singing privately in Marylebone. Outside of singing, Albie has visited the US and much of Southeast Asia.
Sebastian Bosley
Lay Clerk
Sebastian was a choral scholar at Exeter Cathedral while a politics undergraduate. He then read political philosophy at York University before becoming a lay vicar at Truro Cathedral. He has since combined a financial career in infrastructure development with singing in London and surrounding areas. He studies with Gary Coward.
Sam Poppleton
Lay Clerk
Sam Poppleton sings at St George's as part of a multi-faceted musical life. He leads the City Lit Inclusive Choir for adults with special educational needs, facilitating their recent collaboration with London Sinfonietta, is a 2021/22 Voces 8 scholar, and spent last summer conducting the premier of Marco Galvani's AI-inspired opera Helena. When not making music Sam is often heard talking about it, most coherently whilst on The Classical Music Pod.
Dorothy Hoskins
Lay Clerk
Dorothy read Music at the University of Cambridge where she was a Choral Scholar at Jesus College. She now combines singing with a career in the charity sector, currently working as a Senior Project Manager for Create, the UK’s leading charity empowering lives, reducing isolation and enhancing wellbeing through the creative arts. Alongside Jacob and Sam (also St George’s Lay Clerks) Dorothy is a Co-Founder of Anthem Music CIC, a collective delivering community music projects in south London and beyond.
Izzy Gibber
Lay Clerk
Izzy read Music at Royal Holloway, University of London where she also held a choral scholarship. She is currently working as a freelance soprano performing with ensembles such as Tenebrae, The Carice Singers, SANSARA and London Voices. Alongside her singing, Izzy balances a part-time Music Administration job at Holy Sepulchre London, the National Musician’s Church. When she isn’t in an ecclesiastical building of some variety, you’ll most likely find Izzy pursuing her other passion, playing hockey.
Tamsin Raitt
Lay Clerk
Tamsin studied at the Royal Academy of Music and received a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours. During her time at the Academy she was a soloist and chorus member for the Kohn Foundation Bach Cantata Series and a receiver of the Arthur Burcher Memorial Prize for the highest mark in her third year recital.
Tamsin performs regularly for oratorio works and has performed in venues such as Cadogan Hall and De Montfort Hall.
When not singing, Tamsin works in the Finance team at Wigmore Hall.
Scholars
Benjamin Jardim
Organ Scholar
Benjamin is currently studying English, History, Spanish and Music for their A levels in West London. They have been singing in the choir since 2019, and plays the organ, piano and clarinet. In the past, he has performed in many operas, most notably singing as one of the three boys in Amadeus Mozart’s ‘Die Zauberflöte’ in the Royal Opera House.
Jamie Kennedy
Choral Scholar
Jamie joined the Cathedral Choir in 2013, working under previous directors Nick Gale and Norman Harper. He is currently singing as a Tenor, having previously sung as a Treble and Alto and is currently studying History at King's College London.
Southwark Schools Singing Programme
Olivia Earl
Choral Director
Olivia graduated from the University of Oxford with a Distinction for her MPhil in Music in 2024. Whilst at Merton College, Oxford, Olivia held positions as Graduate Choral Scholar with the College Choir, and Co-Director of the College’s voluntary choir, Kodály Choir. She also sang with Schola Cantorum of Oxford and the Magdalen Consort of Voices.
In her capacity as a choral leader, Olivia was appointed as a National Youth Choir Fellow for 2024, and directs her own professional choir, Omnium Ensemble. She also particularly enjoys delivering singing workshops for Sing Inside and the National Youth Choir’s Learning & Engagement programme.
With a keen interest in the relationship between singing and wellbeing, Olivia has worked on research for the VOCES8 Foundation, and qualified as a Vocal Health First Aider in 2023. She is now an Accredited Member of Vocal Health Education and delivers insightful vocal health talks as well as providing voice care advice for classical singers in particular.
Charlie Perry
Choral Director
Charlie is a Choral Leader and singer from London. Since graduating from the University of Manchester with First Class honours he has worked in the North West across a wide variety of musical projects before moving back to his hometown in 2023. Most notably as Director of Music at the Manchester Oratory, Musical Director of Stafford Choral Society and Assistant Conductor of Stockport Youth Orchestra. He also frequently delivers workshops for adults and children on behalf of groups including The Hallé and Manchester Collective, most recently preparing the children’s chorus for the latter’s production of Noah’s Flood at the Manchester International Festival. As a singer, Charlie is a member of Kantos which has involved studio recordings and radio broadcasts. From 2023-24, he is the Conducting Scholar on the prestigious Genesis Sixteen Young Artist Scheme.
Lucy Piercy
Choral Director
Lucy studied the organ with David Poulter before becoming Organ Scholar and reading music at Jesus College Oxford. Lucy spent several years in the wine trade before returning to her musical roots teaching music at The New Beacon school for 16 years training directing and accompanying the chapel choir in regular chapel services performances across the UK and tours abroad to venues including St Peter's Rome and Dubrovnik Cathedral. Lucy has organised many musical events bringing together local schools and charities in collaboration with contemporary composers and is delighted to be taking up the role of choral director with the National Schools Singing Programme. Lucy is also Organist and Director of Music at St Dunstan's Mayfield.