Musical director - Stephen Hope

Stephen Hope started his musical career as a chorister in Canterbury. He became a music scholar at King's School before going on to read music at Bristol University where he specialised in piano performance and conducting. Since then, Stephen has had wide experience of conducting with the London Chamber Players, Northern Ballet Theatre, English Northern Philharmonia, Scottish Opera and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

He also enjoys working with young people directing courses for the Royal Schools of Church Music, conducting Sutton Girls' Choir, the Croydon Chamber Choir and the Shipway Youth Orchestra. Stephen has been musical director of the Carshalton Panto-mime Company for many shows and has worked with many operatic societies south of the Thames including Bel Canto Opera who perform annually in Crawley.

His latest projects include the Sussex Festival Choir (which performs at Arundel Cathedral) and the Essex Festival Choir (which performs at Chelmsford Cathedral), the proceeds of their concerts going to the hospice movement.