| Biography | Tim has forged a distinguished career in music. For 10 years he was Director of Music of St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle, following appointments at Jesus College, Cambridge, and St Marys Cathedral, Edinburgh, where he was appointed the first full-time Master of Music in 1991.
Timothy Byram-WigfieldA chorister of Kings College, Cambridge, under both Sir David Willcocks and Sir Philip Ledger, he began studying the organ with James Parsons whilst at Oundle School. He was Organ Scholar at Christ Church, Oxford, before taking up the post of Sub-Organist at Winchester Cathedral, working with both Martin Neary and David Hill. In this post he appeared regularly with the Waynflete Singers, and featured in the Southern Cathedrals' Festival. During this time he continued his studies with David Sanger, and was a finalist in the Performer of the Year Competition presented by the Royal College of Organists.
In 1991 he was appointed as the first full-time Master of Music at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh, which is distinctive in Scotland in maintaining a tradition of daily sung services with its own Choir School. The Choir toured to France, Belgium, and twice to the U.S.A., as well as performing during the Edinburgh Festival, in the Queens' Hall, and Greyfriars' Kirk, with The King's Consort and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
In 1999 he moved to Cambridge to take up the newly-created post of Director of Chapel Music at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he worked both with the Chapel Choir of boys and men, and the College Choir of male and female undergraduates. Highlights of his time there included a performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion with the Britten Sinfonia, in Ely Cathedral, with James Gilchrist as Evangelist, concerts with the Hanover Band, and tours to Denmark and France.
In 2003 he was appointed as Director of Music at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. In addition to the daily sung services, he had the privilege to perform music regularly for HM The Queen and other members of the Royal Family, for the annual service for the Order of the Garter, and other occasions of royal and national significance. These included the Blessing Service for HRH Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall, following their marriage, the wedding of Peter Philips and Autumn Kelly, and a service to mark HRH The Duke of Edinburgh's 90th birthday.
This year, in order to devote more time to playing and teaching, Tim has taken up the post of Director of Music at All Saints' Margaret Street, in Central London, where he has custody of the vintage 4-manual Harrison and Harrison organ of 1910.
He continues to perform as an organist, and to make regular recordings. Projects such as cycles of Messiaens oeuvre and a survey of the music of Alfred Hollins testify to his range of musical interests. He has made a particular study of transcriptions; his disc of transcribed overtures, at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow, was nominated for Recording of the Year by Gramophone in their Instrumental category.
Abroad from the U.K., he has performed in France (including at the splendid restored Cavaille-Coll organ at Neuilly-sur-Seine in Paris), Denmark (Copenhagen) and Germany (Strasbourg). He has performed frequently in the United States of America, amongst other venues at Michigan University, Seattle, Boston (Trinity Church), and St John the Divine in New York. He had the privilege of opening the organ at St Barnabas' Church in Brooklyn. |