Our Musical Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Jones

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Mark Jones has been Musical Director of Fakenham Choral Society since the beginning of October 2018, following in the footsteps of our much loved previous director, Janet Kelsey.

 

The musical life of organist Mark Jones started when he became a chorister at Exeter Cathedral, before winning a music scholarship to King’s College Taunton. He was later a pupil at the Royal College of Music in London for five years where he studied organ, piano and conducting. A pupil of Ralph Downes, he won the top organ prize at the college. In London he played the organ at the Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy and at Holy Trinity, Sloane Street. 

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After four years at Ellesmere College in Shropshire and five at Rossall School in Lancashire, Mark moved to Gresham’s School in Norfolk, where he directed the music for nearly 21 years. At the end of 2015 he moved to Geneva, where he became assistant director of music at Holy Trinity Church. 

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After leaving Geneva at the beginning of 2018 Mark became director of music at St Andrew’s church in Holt. Mark returned to Geneva on a regular basis prior to the pandemic and he gave several recitals in the cathedral. He was appointed musical director of Fakenham Choral Society in October 2018 and musical director of North Norfolk Chamber Opera in 2019. In 2019 he returned to Gresham’s as chapel organist and in 2020 was appointed head of chapel music at the school.

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Our Accompanist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Justin Harmer

 

Justin Harmer, bass-baritone, was born and educated in London, studying at the Royal College of Music where he was a post-graduate senior-exhibitioner in the vocal department. He moved to North Norfolk with his family in 2018. Propelled by lockdown to cut ties with the Capital, he has been teaching singing and piano online since March 2020. He is currently also the Cantor at the Roman Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham and Organist at St Withburga's, Holkham Hall.

 

Since November 2021 he has been conductor of Creakes Chamber Choir. Pre-Covid restrictions, he was organist at various churches in London and acting musical director of Medici Choir. He spent 10 years in the professional chapel choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home to the Chelsea Pensioners. For much of that time, he was a part-time repetiteur with the Royal Ballet School Junior Associates, as well as an occasional Oratorio soloist. His album of syndicated music was published with Warner Chappell in 2018. He made his West End debut as a composer in 2021, with a couple of contributions to the stage version of the Horrible Histories that also played around the country.