This webpage gives details of Paul's work as an educator

If you're looking for a 'standard' biography for concert programmes, publicity material, etc
please click on the links below
Paul Ayres biographies (Word file)
Paul Ayres biographies (PDF file)
Updated August 2008

Paul Ayres studied Music at Oxford University, graduating with a first-class honours degree in 1991. Since then he has worked freelance as composer-arranger, choral conductor & accompanist.
Musical education work includes:

Composer/Musical Director, ‘School of Baroque’, Foundling Museum, 2005
three-day course for 8-12-year-olds, involving the children in writing, composing, staging, playing, singing and acting a mini-opera, Handel’s Water Inspiration

Workshop leader, Handel House Museum, 2005
one-day composition project, Reworking Handel’s Messiah, with teenaged music students from RNIB

Musician, Snap Theatre Company ‘Dreamworld’ projects, 2004
one-day theatre workshops in 10 primary schools (Herts/Essex), involving singing, playing and improvising

Leader, Schools Composition Project, London Festival of Contemporary Church Music, 2004 & 2005
working with 50 children in 2 primary schools in St Pancras, London, and mentoring 10 students from Thames Valley University, leading towards professional performance of children’s and students’ work

Music Competition Adjudicator, Bishop’s Stortford College 2004, Lady Eleanor Holles School & Tormead School, 2005
offering advice, adjudication and prizes…

Visiting Composer, Newstead Wood School, 2004
leading workshops and advising students on GCSE/A-level composition work

Composer/Musical Director, Gallions Primary School, 2000-2004
5 consecutive projects at this ArtsMark school: musical Scheherezade commissioned as part of London Arts Board’s residency programme 1000 artists in 1000 places; two composer-in-education projects, The Great Water and Gallions Symphony funded by the Performing Right Society Foundation / Youth Music; opera The Stolen Moon commissioned by Arts Council’s Creative Partnerships

Essex County Youth Choir, 2001 & Norfolk County Youth Choir, 2003
tutor on residential course for 60 young singers, age range 10-18

Musical Director, Wycombe Swan Youth Theatre, 1993, 1994, 2000
fully-staged musicals (Godspell, Alice in Wonderland, Pendragon) at the Town Hall, High Wycombe
cast of 80-100, aged 7-18, band/orchestra also made up of young people

Conductor, Ealing Youth Choir, 1994-2004 and Hanwell Children’s Choir, 2001-2004
treble voice choir (boys and girls) aged range 6-13 and partner SATB choir, age range 11-20; performances at Kew Gardens, Trafalgar Square, Somerset House, Covent Garden Piazza, Savoy Hotel; Britten War Requiem; Orff Carmina Burana; Chilcott Canticles of Light; Ayres The Christ (premiere)

Conductor, Walbrook Singers, 2001-present
boys’ choir, ages 6-15; tours to York Minster, Chichester Cathedral, Germany, Ireland; premiere of specially-commissioned acappella arrangement of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Composer/Musical Director, Compass Theatre Ickenham, 1987
while at school, Paul wrote a new musical The Gentile and MD-ed the cast of 40, all of whom were under 21

deputy conductor/leader/accompanist for Cantate Youth Choir, New London Children’s Choir, Finchley Children’s Music Group, Royal School of Church Music residential courses, Constellation Youth Theatre, various Stagecoach schools and for many other groups

teacher/tutor for private piano, organ, composing, conducting and arranging students,
and for classes in music theory and aural skills