BIOGRAPHY
In addition to his work as a composer and arranger, Simon has wide experience as a choral singer, having sung with the BBC Symphony Chorus, the New London Chamber Choir, Epsom Chamber Choir
and currently Vox Chamber Choir in Farnham.
He has sung in church choirs all his life and was until recently Director of Music and organist at
St Matthew's Church in Surbiton.
He was awarded the LRSM Diploma in piano performance in 2009.
Simon has composed music over many years. In September 2024 his entry for the inaugural PRISM International Psalm Chant Competition was chosen as the winner out of over 60 entries. (The chant can be found and downloaded on the Original Compositions page).
In 2019 he was one of the six finalists out of over 400 entrants in the 2019 Radio 3 Christmas Carol Competition with his setting of Imtiaz Dharker's 'Go to the child'. The carol has now been published by Goodmusic and is available to buy here:
https://www.goodmusicpublishing.co.uk/products/GM341/go-to-the-child
His 'Post 3am Sortie' for solo organ has just been published by Church Organ World in their Christmas album 'Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh Volume 3', and in 2022 he had two organ pieces published in'Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh Vol. 2'. Both collections can be purchased here:
https://sheetorganmusic.co.uk/product/gold-frankincense-myrrh-volume-3
Also in 2022 his Christmas choral piece 'Welcome Jesus, child of Mary' to words by Michael Perry, was published by Jubilate: https://www.jubilate.co.uk/projects/new_light_has_dawned
In the 1990s Simon won the Dorothy L Sayers Society's competition, adjudicated by Stephen Cleobury, to set Sayers' poem 'The Three Kings', which was performed by the choir of Canterbury Cathedral and
broadcast on Classic FM.
His Toccata for Organ was performed twice in the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music 2019, and his 'Postlude all fantasia' was performed by Martyn Noble at the 2023 Festival. At the same festival his introit anthem 'Open to me the gates of righteousness' was premiered by St Pancras Parish Church choir.
Simon has composed hymns and worship songs for church use, and has also written two school cantatas, Call me Adam, based on the Creation story, and Job the Just,
a re-telling of the biblical book of Job.