News
New Informator Choristarum Appointed
Magdalen College and the Faculty of Music are delighted to announce the appointment of Daniel Hyde to the position of Choirmaster, Organist and Tutorial Fellow in Music at Magdalen, and Lecturer in Music in the Faculty. Mr Hyde is currently Fellow Commoner and Director of Chapel Music at Jesus College, Cambridge; Director of Music at St Edmunds College, Cambridge; and Tutor in the Faculty of Music, where he he teaches issues in historically informed performance, harmony, counterpoint, fugue, choral studies and musicianship. He is also Co-Director of the Cambridge University Chamber Choir, and Director of the Harlow Chorus.
He studied at King's College, Cambridge, where he was Organ Scholar, and took a First in Music in 2003. For the past eight years he has been an organ student of both Dame Gillian Weir and Nicolas Kynaston. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists at the age of sixteen, and in September 2002 was a concerto finalist with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in the RCO Performer of the Year competition, winning second prize and, importantly, the Audience Prize. Whilst at King's, engagements included concerts in London, Paris, Germany, Greece and Australia, as well as conducting the Choral Scholars on a tour to Canada, and appearing as a concerto soloist in the Bruges Festival. He appeared regularly with King's on BBC TV and Radio, and made several recordings, including three discs for EMI as a continuo player with the Academy of Ancient Music, and a DVD entitled Anthems from King's.
Recent solo and conducting work has included his debut at the BBC Proms 2006, a recital tour to the USA and concerts at St John’s Smith Square, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Birmingham and Huddersfield Town Halls. He has also undertaken regular continuo work with the Britten Sinfonia and the Fitzwilliam Quartet. Forthcoming and recent conducting engagements include a performance of Handel’s Messiah with the Britten Sinfonia, Bach’s B Minor Mass in King’s College Chapel with Cambridge University Chamber Choir, and James MacMillan’s Seven Last Words with the BBC Singers.
The choral foundation at Magdalen College has an unbroken tradition stretching back to 1480. The Choir retains much the same shape as it had in the fifteenth century, with sixteen boy Choristers and twelve Academical Clerks (undergraduates of the College). The Director of Music still retains the ancient Latin title, Informator Choristarum. The first Informator was appointed in 1481, and many notable musicians have since held this post, including John Sheppard, Daniel Purcell (brother of Henry), Sir John Stainer, Sir William McKie and Bernard Rose. The present Informator is Dr Bill Ives. Daniel Hyde take up his appointment on 1 April 2009.