About Alistair Jones

Alistair Jones has been conductor of the Chiswick Choir since 1984. During this period he has extended and developed the choir's repertoire with a wide variety of works from the early Baroque period through to the 20th Century. Composers featured in the choir's programmes are the Gabrieli's, Monteverdi, Schütz, Bach (the Passions and the Mass in B minor), Handel (Messiah, Saul, Israel in Egypt, Solomon), Mozart, (Requiem , Mass in C minor), Haydn (Creation, The Seasons, Heilige Messe), Brahms (Deutsches Requiem), Mendelssohn (Elijah), Verdi (Requiem), Bruckner (Mass in E minor), Elgar (Bavarian Highlands, The Dream of Gerontius), Britten (St. Nicolas), Stravinsky (Symphony of Psalms).

Alistair studied at the Royal Academy of Music with C.H. Trevor and later at Cambridge University, where, as Organ Scholar of Trinity Hall, he was a pupil of Sir David Willcocks. He joined the music staff of Wellington College in 1967 and later became Director of Music of Bristol Cathedral School; while in Bristol he conducted the Bristol Bach Choir, Bristol Intimate Opera and the Bristol Concert Orchestra.

After 16 years as a school teacher, Alistair joined the music industry in 1986, working for Boosey & Hawkes musical instrument division as Education Consultant. He now works for Yamaha-Kemble Music as Education Liaison Manager.

As a composer, he has written mostly for the voice; works include songs cycles – Five Holy Sonnets of John Donne for Tenor and Piano Quintet, The Year's Awakening, Visions of William Blake and Fables. The cantata Dies Irae (1990) and the oratorio Carmen Paschale (1996) were written for and premiered by the Chiswick Choir. A newly completed Stabat Mater, featuring poems by the Chilean poet Ariel Dorfman, received its first performance, with mezzo soprano Louise Tucker and the Chiswick Choir in 2006.

On Tuesday 6th May 2003, the choir presented Alistair with a cake to celebrate his forthcoming 60th birthday. The cake was presented by Michael Kron, then Chairman of the Committee, remarking how young Alistair looked for his age! Michael also remarked that Alistair had been director of the Choir for 20 years, i.e. a third of his life!