Our Conductor
Iain Cooper
 Iain
Cooper was born in Bristol and began his musical education as a chorister first
at St. Mary Redcliffe and later at the Cathedral. He studied the organ with the
late Clifford Harker at Bristol Cathedral and with Walter Hillsman at Oxford. He
read Music at Keble College, Oxford where he was accompanist to the Chapel Choir
and directed the Arcadian Singers, a select undergraduate chamber choir, and the
Cumnor Choral Society. He also holds the degree of M.Litt of Bristol University
for his thesis on the composer Gerald Finzi.
Iain began his teaching career in Salisbury and then moved to
Peterborough to become Director of Music at the King’s School, the Cathedral’s
choir school.
He spent the years from 1988 to 2001 in
Cambridge, most of them as Director of Music at the Perse School. He also
directed the Walmisley Singers of Cambridge and the Cambridge Youth Orchestra.
In December 2001 Iain moved to Cheltenham to
pursue a freelance career. He examines for the Associated Board, tutors on the
Open University’s Humanities foundation course and postgraduate Music
programme as well as teaching the piano at Dean Close School and serving as an
inspector for the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate. He is also conductor of
Bridgwater Choral Society in Somerset. Iain has particularly enjoyed Cleeve
Chorale’s tours to Austria and Italy as they have provided an opportunity to
pursue his interest in European travel and languages.
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