We are pleased to announce the appointment of a new Director of Music, Timothy Parsons.

Timothy Parsons is currently the Assistant Director of Music at Exeter Cathedral, where he has worked since 2016. Prior to this he held the organ scholarships at the cathedrals of Hereford and Winchester. He was a chorister at Guildford Cathedral, and was later organ scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge, graduating with a starred first in Music in 2014. Whilst at Cambridge he was also organ scholar for King’s Voices, the mixed-voice choir of King’s College Chapel. At Exeter, Timothy plays the organ for the Cathedral Choir’s schedule of services and concerts and also directs the St Peter’s Singers, the Cathedral’s adult voluntary choir.

Photo credit: Emma Solley

The Very Reverend Joe Hawes, Dean of St Edmundsbury, said: “Timothy stood out in an outstanding field of applicants. His energy, enthusiasm, musicality and vision for the future of cathedral music impressed not only the appointment panel but also staff, volunteers and members of the cathedral congregation. We look forward to welcoming him and Cressida in May 2021 and to an exciting future for music in worship at St Edmundsbury.”

Timothy Parsons responded: “I am thrilled to have been appointed as the new Director of Music at St Edmundsbury. It will be a huge privilege to work with the Dean and Chapter to ensure that the musical tradition continues to develop and thrive. I am looking forward to moving to Bury St Edmunds and throwing myself into the life of the Cathedral, town and county.”

The Cathedral has at its core the heartbeat of a daily round of worship: music is central to this and is a key part of what makes a cathedral unique in the life of the county and diocese. The Director of Music, working with the Assistant Director of Music, Richard Cook, has oversight of five choirs, including the newly formed Girls’ Choir as well as a rich programme of recitals and concerts. Timothy Parsons succeeds James Thomas who served as Director of Music for 23 years until early 2020.