Paul Hayward

About Paul Hayward

Musical Director specialising in musical theatre (baton/stick) and choral music, as well as arranging and orchestrating. Former cathedral musician.

I am a qualified, experienced and versatile musician with a stylistically broad musical education to doctoral level. The first part of my music career involved sacred music, moving from parish music to city centre churches to cathedrals as an organist and conductor. I held cathedral organ and choral scholarships before two assistant cathedra organist positions and a similar post at a public school. At this time, I was playing for up to eight services per week, all with different musical requirements, as well as teaching piano and theory of music. I played for services, concerts, recitals, tours, examinations, recordings, broadcasts (including live on the BBC) and a royal visit. I have given solo organ and harpsichord recitals at cathedrals and other venues around the UK, and was a duty organist for Blenheim Palace.

Since 2014, I have been working as a musical director and undertook postgraduate and doctoral studies in composition, and now use those skills as an orchestrator and arranger. I specialise in baton/stick conducting as well as choral directing, and have worked with groups of all abilities and genres. I am the MD for three choirs and a chamber orchestra in the East Midlands, which are a choral society, a ladies’ choir, and a male voice choir. I also regularly lead choral days and come and sing events, as well as working with other ensembles.

I am a regular keys chair for play-through days and concerts with the Northern Musical Theatre Orchestra, as well as a repetiteur for play-through days with the London Musical Theatre Orchestra.

I have also served as the MD for two other chamber choirs in the Midlands over previous years. As an accompanist and assistant MD, I have worked with a chamber choir, a choral society and a male voice choir. I have also played keyboard instruments with the Nottingham chamber ensemble saraBande in concerts including as a guest conductor, as well as playing with Rachel Podger and Brecon Baroque.

I have a growing number of arrangements and orchestrations purchase. These are usually arrangements for choirs (especially male voice choir), as well as reductions for orchestral pieces / choral pieces with orchestral accompaniment.

A full CV is available on request.

www.paulhayward.org