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'The Conductor was Simon Joly, who seems able to inspire them to practically
anything'
Financial Times 20th September 1994, BBC Singers' 70th Anniversary
Concert
Simon Joly is a conductor, chorus
master and singers coach most renowned for his work as Associate
Conductor from 1981 - 88 and subsequently Principal Conductor of the BBC
Singers between 1989 – 1995. He conducted an
enormous repertoire of choral music both a capella
and accompanied on radio, CD, and in concert.
He has given premières of
works by many distinguished contemporary composers, including Luciano Berio, John Tavener, Peter Maxwell Davies,
David Bedford, and Oliver Knussen. He
has conducted the BBC Singers many times at the 'Proms' (performances
range from Palestrina to Stravinsky's Les Noces,
Steve Reich's The Desert Music
and Giles Swayne's
Cry). Other major 20th-century performances include Birtwistle's... agm..., Henze's Novae de infinito Laudes (with
the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra) and The Raft of the Medusa (with
the BBC Symphony Orchestra). With the BBC Singers he gave many
performances of Messiaen's
Cinq Rechants,
and performed Berio's
Coro with
the London Sinfonietta at La Scala, Milan.
Simon Joly conducted the
first performance of Peter Paul Nash's Apollinaire Choruses and Song for Athene by Sir John Tavener.
He was chorus master for Pierre Boulez
on Le visage nuptial - performances of which were conducted by the
composer at the 2001 BBC Proms and the Edinburgh Festival, and for Leonard Bernstein’s famous recording of his
musical Candide. His many recordings
include a disc for Collins Classics of Sir
Peter Maxwell Davies' choral works, IKONS – a disc of Sir John Tavener’s
choral works and a recording of both of Bantock’s Choral Symphonies.
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