People

President: James Bowman CBE

Vice-Presidents: John Baird, Lilias Gillies

Martin Everett (Conductor) began his musical studies as Organ Scholar at Magdalene College, Cambridge.

He went on to the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied composition with John Gardner and conducting with Maurice Miles. At the same time he was an organ pupil of Guy Morançon in Paris, where his research into French organ music of the 19th and 20th centuries brought him into contact with Maître Jean Langlais, Mme Marie-Madeleine Duruflé and Mme Charles Tournemire (the composer's widow).

Later he took a Master’s degree in Music at the University of Surrey, and undertook research into the earliest versions of Handel’s Messiah and the songs of Philip Radcliffe.

As Musical Director of the Hammersmith Symphony Orchestra he gave the world première performance of Beethoven’s complete incidental music to Goethe’s Egmont in 1981. He spent several years as Lecturer in Music and Music Education at St. Mary’s College, Twickenham and at the University of Surrey, then became Director of Music at The Perse School for Girls in Cambridge. He now works as conductor, organist, harpsichordist, composer, examiner and writer.

Martin's connection with the South West London Choral Society goes back almost as far as he can remember, since his parents were both members of the choir in the late 1950s. He was invited by Charles Farncombe to become the choir's accompanist in 1969 and has worked with them continuously since then, as Conductor since 1983.

Martin is married to Harriet, who sings alto in the choir, and they divide their time between London and Cambridgeshire.

Ben Lewis-Smith (Accompanist) was educated at Wells Cathedral School and at The Queen's College, Oxford, where he was Organ Scholar.

He teaches music at Northcote Lodge School in south-west London and is shortly to take up a position as Organist at St Columba's Church of Scotland in central London.

Ben joined the SWLCS as Accompanist in January 2011.