Our musicians
Behind our fantastic musical programme is a dedicated team of musicians, performing, planning services, conducting and teaching our choirs and more.
The Music department at St Paul’s is responsible for both playing and coordinating all the music you hear in the Cathedral – from the choral pieces that form the backbone of our services, to our regular organ recitals.
The team also engages children and young people through their schools in the magic of choral singing. Below, you can learn about our key musicians.
Andrew Carwood MBE
Director of Music
Andrew Carwood MBE is the first non-organist to lead the music at St Paul's since the 12th century. He has gained a reputation as one of the most versatile musicians of his generation, having had an illustrious career as a singer before focussing attention on conducting and choral direction.
He trained as a choral scholar at St John's College, Cambridge, and was a lay clerk at Christ Church, Oxford and Westminster Cathedral, before becoming Director of Music at the Brompton Oratory. As a conductor his reputation was established with The Cardinall's Musick and together the three-time Gramophone award winners continue to perform throughout the UK and Europe.
Hilary Punnett
Assistant Director of Music
Hilary has spent the past 20 years working as conductor and organist across England and Canada, including at the cathedrals of Christ Church Oxford, Chelmsford, and Lincoln. Her experience as a conductor extends to from professional to amateur, and from young choristers through to adult choirs. She holds an MMus in Organ Performance from McGill University in Montreal, is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and has recently completed an MA in Choral Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music.
James Orford
Organist
James joins the Cathedral from St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge, where he was the Organist and Assistant Director of Music. He is a prize-winning organist and pianist, receiving first-class awards in both his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the Royal Academy of Music. He has previously held posts at Westminster Cathedral and Eton College and held organ scholarships at St Paul’s Cathedral, Truro Cathedral, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, and King’s College, London. He is an active recitalist in the UK and abroad and has performed on multiple recordings and radio broadcasts.
George Inscoe
Sub-Organist
George is our Sub-Organist, having previously held positions at Croydon Minster, Norwich Cathedral, Temple Church and St Mark’s Church, Hamilton Terrace. He is also the Musical Director of the Buckland and Betchworth Choral Society. As an organist he has performed recitals across the UK and Europe as well as in the USA, Singapore and Australia. George began his musical career as a chorister in Canterbury Cathedral Choir under Dr David Flood, with whom he studied the piano and organ. He gained a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Susan Landale and Bine Bryndorf as well as improvisation with Gerard Brooks and Neil Wright.
William Bruce
Artistic Director of Choral Partnerships
William Bruce leads our acclaimed music partnership programme, which engages diverse new audiences with the Cathedral's world-renowned music foundation. This programme shares sacred music with thousands of children in schools and communities across London, through weekly, whole-class singing sessions and after-school partner choirs, bringing them to sing for Liturgies and events at the Cathedral. Other national arts organisations look to our programme for inspiration, and William's work has recently been featured in Cathedral Music magazine. Formerly, William was a Choral Director at Leeds Cathedral for the National School’s Singing Programme, widely recognised as one of the leading choral education programmes in the country through its work with over 6,500 children per week in areas of social marginalisation and economic deprivation. Before Leeds, he gained a first-class Music degree from King's College London and graduated with distinction from the University of Birmingham’s Choral Conducting Masters programme, under the tutelage of Simon Halsey CBE.
Hamish Wagstaff
Organ Scholar
Hamish Wagstaff is the Organ Scholar of St Paul’s Cathedral. A prizewinning graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, he completed postgraduate study with David Titterington, and has previously held positions at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and All Saints’ Margaret Street.
Jeremiah Stephenson
Organ Education Lead
Jeremiah Stephenson has a passion for introducing children to the organ and building with them an appreciation of the instrument’s diverse repertoire. As an accredited teacher of the Royal College of Organists, he currently teaches four groups of state school students, whose lessons are sponsored by the Royal College of Organists’ Inspiring Organists scheme: Union Chapel Islington, the Church of Our Lady St John’s Wood and the St John Kennington Organ Studentship Scheme. Jeremiah combines this work with a busy freelance career of international recitals and the post of Associate Director of Music at All Saints Margaret Street.
Laurel Neighbour
Choral Animateur
Laurel Neighbour delivers our unique Choral Curriculum in three primary schools across the Diocese of London, leading weekly, whole-class singing sessions and collective worship for some 880 children. She has extensive experience inspiring young people through singing, having previously led the Songstars project at The Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace, taught for Southwark Music, and directed Dartford Choral Project. Laurel grew up in the Kent Youth Choirs system and studied Music at the University of Nottingham, where she was also a Choral Scholar at St Mary’s Church. She sang for many years with the choirs of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and completed scholarships with The Sixteen and VOCES8. For the past ten years, Laurel has worked closely with choirmaster Gareth Malone, co-leading choirs and performing across the UK. She currently leads choirs at King’s College London, London Youth Choirs, and a community choir in East Dulwich.
George Cook
Choral Animateur
Inspiring the next generation of singers is a huge priority for George and he is thrilled to be a Choral Animateur for St Paul’s Cathedral, delivering whole class singing sessions in four primary schools across the Diocese, as well as being Assistant Director of Hackney Children’s and Senior Choir. He is the Co-Lead of the Learning and Engagement for the Whiddon Autumn Festival in Devon and leads workshops with the Voces8 Foundation. In addition to workshop leading, he also presents and compères concerts, in particular the annual Festive Family Carols concerts and Family Classic concerts at St Martin’s. Alongside his choral leading career, George is also a freelance baritone, regularly singing with St Martin’s voices. He has also sung with many ensembles including Corvus Consort, Royal Hospital Chelsea Chapel Choir, St Bartholomew the Great Choir, Tower of London Chapel Choir, and St Paul’s Cathedral Choir.
Music at St Paul's
Meet our choirs and musicians, learn more about our organ and bells, and find information about performing at the Cathedral.
Discover more about our world-famous choir, and the other ensembles that bring to life the Cathedral’s musical programme.