Music Personnel in the University Chapel

Director of Chapel Music
James Grossmith

James began his musical training as organ scholar of Clare College, Cambridge and subsequently won a scholarship for postgraduate conducting studies with Martyn Brabbins at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD). Upon completing his studies at the RSAMD he was awarded the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians and until 2005 acted as Director of Choral Music at the Academy, regularly conducting the RSAMD symphony orchestra, chamber choir and chorus.

In January 2006 James was appointed as Chorusmaster of Scottish Opera and since then he has conducted the company in performances of Handel's Tamerlano, Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor, Mozart's Seraglio and Stravinsky's Pulcinella, as well as preparing the Scottish Opera chorus for productions of Don Giovanni, Carmen, Der Rosenkavalier and Madama Butterfly and Il Barbiere di Siviglia. In addition to his work at Scottish Opera James has directed the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera for All, the London Sinfonietta, the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, the Aberdeen Sinfonietta, Haddo House Opera and the Paragon Ensemble.

University Organist
Kevin Bowyer

Kevin has been Organist to the University of Glasgow since September 2005. He accompanies the very excellent Chapel Choir and is Artistic Director of the annual International Organ Festival held in the Memorial Chapel. The Sorabji Organ Works Project, a five year plan supported by The Glasgow University Trust, aims to have a complete critical edition of all three of the Sorabji organ symphonies in print by June 2013 as well as live performances of all three works. CD recordings of the complete Sorabji organ works will be released on Altarus Records, who will also produce a DVD documenting the entire project. Sorabji's massive and largely unplayed Second Organ Symphony (1929-32, about 6½ hours) is scheduled for performance in June 2009. The Third Organ Symphony (1949-54, also about 6½ hours, also unplayed), reputedly the most complex and technically demanding organ work ever composed, is currently undergoing conversion from the manuscript into a workable performing score and is scheduled to be surfacing in public performance in early summer 2013.